A Scots police officer who helped nail a sophisticated organised crime gang by wading through tens of thousands of EncroChat messages has won a coveted award. Ministry of Defence detective constable Gary McArthur was tasked with unmasking five gangsters involved in the supply of drugs and laundering more than £7m in June 2020.
The crime-group had cross-border bases operating in Merseyside and Glasgow, all while exploiting two serving Royal Marines based at HMNB Clyde. The duo were thought to be providing MOD vehicles to criminal underworld figures and were suspected of stealing and supplying ammunition.
As part of the operation, DC McArthur embedded himself with Merseyside Police for several months. He said: “We had to read every word of every line of the messages that were sent by the criminals – there were no shortcuts. In total we were looking at 25-30,000 messages; one of the men alone had sent 18,000 messages.
“We were looking for evidential incrimination, but the biggest challenge was the attribution process, because the EncroChat handles were made-up names, so it was a process of finding clues to work out who these guys were.
“But it was the most interesting thing I’ve ever done. It was challenging because there were time constraints, and it was all-encompassing, it took over my life for months, it was stressful. When the suspects were arrested, I felt relief, and also a lot of pride.”
In May 2022, the five main suspects - including Royal Marine Commandos Stuart Bryant and Grant Broadfoot - all pleaded guilty to the charges in Merseyside and Glasgow Courts.
They were sentenced to a total of 69 years imprisonment, with individuals receiving between three years and 9 months to 20 years imprisonment.
Broadfoot, 30, was jailed for five years and three months after pleading guilty to being involved in serious organised crime. Stuart Bryant, then 31, was sentenced to three years and nine months after he admitted being involved in the supply of cannabis.
DC McArthur said he was pleased to be awarded the ‘Investigation of the Year’ award by the Defence Police Federation. He said: “I feel proud to receive this award, it was a very nice surprise.
“Although I did a lot of the work, my colleagues kept me going. I had support from Merseyside and also a supportive line manager and really good friends who helped me get through it.”
Defence Police Federation Chairman Eamon Keating said: “This truly shows the variety of work Ministry of Defence Police colleagues carry out. Gary’s commitment and dedication to this investigation was exemplary – his meticulous approach led to the disruption of this serious organised crime group.
“Gary is a worthy recipient of this Award for helping put these criminals behind bars.”
Brendan O’Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, said: “Gary’s dedication is the reason a group of criminals are rightly behind bars. I’m delighted that his work and commitment has been recognised by the Defence Police Federation. He is an outstanding example of the crucial role the Ministry of Defence Police plays in our community.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
