A man has been charged with drugs offences today as part of an ongoing investigation into drugs supply in Merseyside and beyond.
John Hassall of Moreton was arrested yesterday (Monday 4 October) and charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine) and importation of cannabis.
He has been remanded in custody to appear at Wirral Magistrates Court today, Tuesday 5 October.
The charges form part of the Merseyside Police response to Operation Venetic: a national investigation into the use of encrypted mobile devices, commonly referred to as Encrochat.
What is Encrochat?
EncroChat was a Europe-based communications network and service provider used primarily by organized crime members to plan criminal activities. Police infiltrated the network between at least March and June 2020 during a Europe-wide investigation.
An unidentified source associated with EncroChat announced on the night of 12–13 June 2020 that the company would cease operations because of the police operation.
The service had around 60,000 subscribers at the time of its closure. At least 1,000 arrests have been made across Europe as of 22 December 2020.
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