Encrochat gun-runners jailed for 38 years

Two gun-runners who plotted to distribute sub-machine guns and drugs on Encrochat have been jailed for a total of 38 years.

Waheed Zaman, 43 and Aweis Bashir, 27, used the secretive platform to arrange deals for Czech manufactured Skorpion machine pistols and class A narcotics.

The pair chatted in an EncroChat room under false handles, with Zaman calling himself ‘Naturalmist’ and Bashir going by ‘Blackskull’ and then ‘LouisVuitton.com’.

It was that change of name that played a part in their eventual conviction, with Zaman not knowing who Bashir was under the new name of ‘LouisVuitton.com’.

Bashir replied: ‘Who you got the scorp off bro.’

Zaman asked him: ‘any joy with sweets’ – slang for bullets.

The next day they again talked about obtaining bullets and Zaman also asked for ammunition for a Luger pistol.

They also chatted about ammunition, with Zaman asking for bullets for a Glock and a ’44 spinner’ believed to be a revolver.

Bashir also had conversations with other Encrochat users about the supply of other firearms and selling Class A drugs.

In June 2020, Zaman asked Bashir again for bullets – this time for 200 which Bashir said he could not obtain.

Zaman, previously jailed for 10 years in 2011 for robbery, kept two jet-skis near Poole harbour in Dorset and messaged one contact about training “kids to ride out and collect” drugs dropped in the Channel.

Zaman, of Walsall, West Midlands, was convicted of three counts of supplying Class A drugs, attempting to possess or acquire a Skorpion sub machinegun and attempting to possess or acquire prohibited ammunition at Loughborough Crown Court.

Bashir, of Ladybarn, south Manchester, was arrested on April 20, 2021 and found with £2,270 in the pocket of his coat.

He was convicted of three counts of supplying Class A drugs, attempting to possess or acquire a Skorpion sub machinegun and attempting to possess or acquire prohibited ammunition at Loughborough Crown Court.

Zaman was jailed for 22 years while Bashir received 16 years.

Kay Mellor, National Crime Agency (NCA) Regional Head of Investigations, said: ‘These are two men who didn’t care about ruining people’s lives with the supply of drugs and firearms.

‘They didn’t care about the consequences for communities or the fallout for entirely innocent victims. They only cared about themselves and how much money they could make.

‘The NCA works with partners at home and abroad to fight the threats of Class A drugs and firearms.

‘Protecting the public from these dangers is a top priority for the agency.’

EncroChat became a standard messaging platform for organised crime, where criminals made about massive drug deals, laundered money, and discussed extortion, kidnapping and assassinations.

A joint operation between the NCA – dubbed Britain’s FBI – the French National Gendarmerie and Dutch police infiltrated the network in April 2020 after placing malware on French EncroChat servers, so officers could read any message sent through those servers.

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