The former footballer who used EncroChat to brag about supplying drugs and guns to criminals

A former professional footballer with a taste for designer trainers supplied drugs and guns to criminals across the country, including Manchester. When police raided Wayne McKenzie' s home they discovered numerous boxes of brand new Gucci and Jimmy Choo footwear.

But McKenzie, formerly from Manchester, before moving to Liverpool, was today sentenced to 30 years at Liverpool Crown Court. McKenzie, 48, conspired with his brother, Craig, to import cocaine and cannabis from the Netherlands, Spain and North America. He was also involved in importing firearms in the same period during March and June 2020.

McKenzie, imported the drugs before arranging for others to transport them through the UK to his customers. The drugs would have been worth more than £2 million at street value. Most of his importations were sent to criminals in Liverpool and Manchester but others were taken further afield to Wales and London.

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McKenzie’s criminal activities were discovered after the NCA received data from the EncroChat encrypted communications platform. The EncroChat platform was taken down in 2020 and Operation Venetic, the UK law enforcement response led by the National Crime Agency, was launched.

McKenzie, who previously played football for a Scandinavian team, was using two handles on the platform, LittleOrchid and RadiantAcid, and had extensive conversations around importing drugs and firearms for profit. In one conversation, discussing smuggling a gun to the UK hidden in chemical waste, McKenzie states the last firearm he imported was sold “straight to kids in London”.

In another, McKenzie says he is in contact with a trawler who can assist in importing