Man jailed for 16 years after 'greed got the better of him

COURT HEARD HOW ENCRYPTED PHONE MESSAGES WERE DECODED BY INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATORS

- By MARK NAYLOR

A DRUGS baron nicknamed "Peakyblinder" used a supposedly "foolproof" encrypted phone system to organise and direct the buying and selling of huge amounts of drugs from abroad on a “commercial scale”.

Qualified quantity surveyor Ryan Morris was involved in arranging potentially lucrative hauls of cocaine and heroin as well as other drugs, tobacco and unlicensed fireworks after “greed got the better” of him.

He was making significant sums of money to fund luxury purchases of Rolex watches and designer clothes but disaster struck after the encrypted phone messages were finally "decoded" by international investigators, Hull Crown Court heard. Morris, 36, of Kelgate Close, Hull, denied conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine as well as possessing cash as criminal property between April 7 and May 29, 2020 but he was convicted by a jury after a seven-day trial.

He admitted fraudulently evading duty on tobacco, storing fireworks without a licence between April 7 and November 11, 2020 and possessing £38,105 cash, found at Dover in Kent, as criminal property on May 13, 2020 and cash in a pallet on May 28, 2020. He also admitted possessing nitrous oxide with intent to supply after changing his plea.

Ben Campbell, prosecuting, said that Morris was involved in the illegal importation from abroad of drugs, including cocaine and heroin, as well as tobacco and fireworks and their onward distribution. There were discussions among the conspirators about current prices, how to get the goods into this country and how to make arrangements for payment.

"The defendant was involved in all of that," said Mr Campbell. "He has accepted being part of some of it - though not all."

Morris used an encrypted chat system that users thought was so secure that the police could not break it. "It was only available on a small number of specially adapted handsets," said Mr Campbell.