An earlier version of this article stated that Palin had been convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and amphetamines. In fact, although the police said data from the encrypted Encrochat communication service indicated he had been involved with heroin supply too, he was convicted only of conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamines. We are happy to clarify this matter.
A mural of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, selfies, pictures of cheese and the sharing of personal information have all been used to bring otherwise hardened criminals to justice.
Detectives called the hacking of the EncroChat phone network the biggest boost to UK policing against organised crime in decades, if not ever. The heavily encrypted phones, costing around £1,200 for a three month contract, were supposed to be unhackable by law enforcement and were almost exclusively used by criminals, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).
