Four men have been sentenced to a total of more than 25 years in prison after Met detectives dismantled an organised crime group distributing class A and class B drugs across London and Essex.
The group used encrypted communication platforms, including EncroChat, to carry out drug deals worth more than £4m.
Undercover officers made a breakthrough when they witnessed Gary Parson, 58, meet with James Smith, 33, in 2022.
Parson unloaded large boxes into Smith’s car which contained 150kg of ketamine.
Both suspects were charged and remanded into custody for possession with intent to supply class B drugs.
The wholesale value of the seized drugs was estimated to be between £900,000 - £1,200,000, and had a potential street value of £3,000,000 - £4,500,000, which would have ended up on the streets of London.
Police enquiries uncovered further boxes in a shipment process, disguised to contain car parts imported into the UK.
Police liaised with the Courier Company and the Netherlands National Police who identified further boxes in transit. This led to the recovery of 210kg of ketamine.
Further investigations by specialist officers discovered that Mark Brydges, 56, of Surrey, and 41-year-old Kelvin Homewood had been involved in co-ordinating the supply of the drugs via EncroChat.
Brydges was identified as the holder of the EncroChat handle “#Swanny” and was charged for this. He was also convicted of supplying the sale of a kilogram of cocaine.
He was sentenced at Snarebrook Crown Court to nine years and four months' imprisonment after pleading guilty on October 20 for supplying a class A drug cocaine, and conspiracy to supply a class B drug, namely 150kg Ketamine.
Parson from Surrey and Smith from Birmingham were sentenced to five years three months' imprisonment each after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply 150kg of Ketamine.
Homewood from Chertsey was jailed for seven years imprisonment on June 6 2023, after being convicted by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court of conspiracy to supply 150kg Ketamine, a class B drug.
