20 crime gang members jailed in North East for 360 years

Since 2020 officers from Northumbria Police have been dismantling the illicit criminal groups behind large-scale drug supply and money laundering as part of Operation Venetic. 

The activity, which brought together law enforcement and criminal justice partners, saw the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat infiltrated just before the Covid 19 pandemic struck and continues to see unprecedented results.

And since its inception, 44 offenders have now been jailed for offences ranging from supplying cocaine and spice to conspiracy to supply prohibited weapons – with sentences totalling almost 360 years.

Two of those are Chris Dixon and Elliot Hopewell – who were put behind bars for 37 years for unprecedented involvement in the UK’s illegal drugs and firearms market.

Messages from the men’s encrypted devices revealed sales of Spice, amphetamine and weapons, including a hand grenade and an Uzi submachine gun.

The pair are two of 20 EncroChat device owners – who have been sentenced to a total of 254 years and seven months’ imprisonment.

Here are the names of the 20 now behind bars:

Chris Dixon (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Peter Harrison (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Stephen York (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)David Borley (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Andrew Brierley (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Christopher Finlay (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Craig Fraser (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)John Gates (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Elliott Hopewell (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Darren Johnson (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Gentjan Kaloti (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Andrew Morrow (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)David Nixon (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Ryan O'Connor (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Liam Pow (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Paul Richardson (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Scott Ridley (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Christopher Riley (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Daniel Tate (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)Christopher Windmill (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE)

Across the country, 2,000 suspects have been charged with more than 1,300 convictions. 

Detective Chief Inspector Marc Michael is one of the officers leading the Force's response to serious and organised crime.

He said: “Since Op Venetic launched, we have consistently seen outstanding results which have put criminals behind bars, taken drugs out of circulation and undoubtedly made our communities safer.

“To date we have jailed 44 people who were responsible for drug dealing, firearms offences and other crime which we know continues to fund exploitation, modern-day slavery and violence.

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“Thanks to the support from our criminal justice partners, these criminals have been put behind bars for more than 359 years and their illicit organisations dismantled and stripped of their assets.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has played their part, including our colleagues at NEROCU as well as the members of the community who continue to report suspicious behaviour and activity to us.

“I have no doubt Operation Sentinel, our regional approach to tackling serious and organised crime will continue to see fantastic results in 2024.”