Police raiding the home of a "large scale" drug dealer involved in a £1m cocaine ring found a chilling stash of weapons.
Ashley Allen, 32, of Denny Close, Enfield was jailed for 14 years and four months at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court on September 29 for his role in a network supplying 29kg of cocaine with a street value of £1m.
He had been tracked down after the Metropolitan Police were given information from Encrochat, an encrypted communications network used by criminals.
When Allen’s address in Denny Avenue was searched on November 24 last year, police seized 400g of cocaine, a stun gun, knuckleduster, two swords, and £1,500 of cash.
He was arrested and then charged the following day.
Allen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of a prohibited weapon at the same court on June 26.
Between March and June 2020, Allen had been involved in a conspiracy to supply roughly 29kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of just over £1 million.
Met detectives closed in on Allen after European partners accessed Encrochat in 2020 – passing data to them via the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Officers launched a specialist operation - Operation Eternal - to target Encrochat users believed to be operating from the capital.
Officers began investigating the Encrochat handle ‘Rookiekiller’ in September 2020. The Met says there was compelling evidence linking Allen to the device using it, including cases when his personal and Encrochat phone were at the same location.
Many other Encrochat users had the handle ‘Rookiekiller’ saved as ‘Ash’. ‘Rookiekiller’ also referred to themself as ‘Ash’ on many occasions.
Evidence within the device showed Allen had been running a very successful drug operation with many messages regarding the purchasing, supplying and transportation of Class A drugs and cash.
Detective Constable Jess Tregear said: “Allen arranged large-scale drug deals with his ultimate aim being to make as much money as possible, with no thought of the misery and devastation caused in communities by drug supply, and the violence it leads to.
“Op Eternal investigations over the last three years have resulted in the Met identifying and jailing major players in the criminal fraternity, and stemming the flow of drugs and guns onto the streets. The drugs trade relies on exploitation and violence to operate and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those involved and put them before the courts.”
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