Ipswich and Woodbridge drug dealers jailed after using secretive communications network EncroChat in the large-scale supply of cocaine and cannabis

Three drug dealers have been jailed for the large-scale supply of cocaine and cannabis using a secretive communications network linked to organised criminals.

Roan Omoworarare, 30, of Bloomfield Street in Ipswich; Dale Ramsey, 33, of Felixstowe Road in Ipswich, and Marley Bagley, 27, of Beadon Way in Woodbridge were found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday following a trial which lasted about three weeks.

The case concerned the large-scale supply and distribution of multiple kilogram amounts of cocaine and cannabis using a secretive communications network called ‘EncroChat’.

In 2020 law enforcement agencies in Europe gained access to this secure communications service, used by organised criminals to communicate with each other.

All three were found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A from July 10, 2019 to September 16, 2020.

The trio were also found guilty of conspiracy to supply class B drugs from the same period.

Sentencing took place yesterday, where Omoworarare was given a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and a seven-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class B drugs to run concurrently.

Ramsey was given a seven-and-a-half year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and a two-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class B drugs to run concurrently.

Bagley was given a 10-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and a four-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class B drugs to run concurrently.

The trial followed police warrants for seven addresses, five in Ipswich, one in Ingatestone in Essex and one in Melton, near Woodbridge, on September 16, 2020.

Among the items found during a search in Felixstowe Road in Ipswich were were multiple bags of cash totalling £65,415, various mobile phone devices and an Audi A3 vehicle.

Multiple high-value trainers with an estimated worth of over £10,000 were seized, as were three watches estimated to be worth £100,000 and a Range Rover Vogue vehicle at the property in Ingatestone.

At the property in Beadon Way in Melton, a designer watch worth £20,000 was found along with quantities of herbal cannabis worth approximately £6,000 and a Mercedes E220 vehicle.

The suspects were close associates with each other.

In 2018 Omoworare and Bagley became business associates of a recruitment company, with Omoworare the owner of three other companies that were all used to launder the proceeds of drug dealing.

EncroChat messages between Omoworare and Bagley demonstrated evidence of their supply of drugs to Ipswich and surrounding areas.

DC Chris Townrow said: “Criminals using EncroChat saw encrypted mobile devices being used to hide behind codenames to co-ordinate and plan the supply and distribution of drugs, money laundering and other criminal activity. Thousands of users are known to have used this technology worldwide, including here in the UK.

“All three defendants were involved in this case were involved in the large-scale supply and distribution of cocaine and cannabis with Omoworare linked to a number of organised criminals. This included an organised crime group from the Nottingham area where he was involved in supplying one kilogram of cocaine to members of this Nottingham OCG.

“This was a highly complex investigation and the high quality work conducted demonstrates our on-going determination to rid Suffolk of such drug dealing and associated criminality.”

Officers from Suffolk’s Serious Crime and Disruption Team, Op Sentinel team and Op Scorpion teams were involved in the arrests and investigation.