EncroChat dealer 'SwiftFail' plotted smuggle 100kg of cocaine through the docks

An EncroChat drug dealer forged connections in Colombia and plotted to smuggle 100kg of cocaine through the docks.

James Roberts, 42, who used the handles 'SwiftFail' and 'RoboticGold' on the encrypted messaging service, played a leading role in a drug hierarchy and sourced large consignments before distributing them via couriers. Although much of Roberts' illicit efforts were focused on Merseyside, there was evidence of a wider conspiracy that saw the dad plot to ship cocaine from South America, the Liverpool Echo reports.

But his efforts were being monitored by local authorities after the EncroChat was hacked by European law enforcement in the early months of 2020. At Liverpool Crown Court on Friday prosecutor Alex Langhorn said messages recovered by the police showed Roberts in contact with user 'FitzStopper' who was in Columbia.

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Discussions between the pair showed the plot to smuggle 100kg of cocaine through Southampton docks, but Mr Langhorn said there was no evidence to show the drugs arrived. But, the prosecutor said messages showed if the drugs would have been collected they would have then been distributed.

Roberts was also involved in considerable payments. On one example, he transferred out £169,000. The prosecution said across three separate conspiracies Roberts was involved in around 220kg of class A drugs, and handled over £1.7m in cash.

One of the men Roberts relied on at a local level was former soldier Darren Spencer, 49. The court heard Spencer, who used the handle 'ApeChest', mainly acted as a broker, who "arranged orders and collected debts". In a brief opening summary to the court, Mr Langhorn told the court