A Darlington man has been jailed for 30 years for his role in the supply of "industrial quantities" of drugs and firearms across the North East and beyond.

Peter Riley was caught when messages from his encrypted mobile phone were infiltrated by police under Operation Venetic – a National Crime Agency-led operation into EncroChat, one of the largest providers of secure, encrypted communications.

Detectives from Durham Police began their investigation which showed between April and May 2020, Riley was heavily involved in the sourcing and onward supply of firearms and what they described as "industrial quantities of drugs".The Northern Echo: Drug dealer Peter Riley

Using the handle ‘Drone-digger’, Riley conspired to sell prohibited weapons, ammunition, and Class A drugs, namely cocaine and 2CB across Darlington and further afield.

He was arrested by police on May 26, 2020, and remanded into custody. During a search of his Darlington home, officers found Riley’s encrypted mobile phone which was plugged in and charging.

During police interviews, he replied no comment, but was later charged with several offences, including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, conspiracy to sell prohibited ammunition, and conspiracy to sell prohibited weapons.

The 51-year-old initially denied the offences, but later changed his plea to guilty.

He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday (February 26) where he was jailed for 30 years.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Turner, from Durham Constabulary’s Specialist Crime Operations Unit, said: “Riley is a very dangerous man who cared only about making vast amounts of money through the supply of illegal firearms, ammunition, and drugs.

“He did not give a second thought to how lethal these commodities were or the devastating consequences they could have on the communities of County Durham and Darlington.

“By using encrypted messaging, Riley and his associates thought they were untouchable and above the law. But, by working together with experts from the National Crime Agency, we were able to systematically dismantle the network and show them this wasn’t the case.

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“I hope this sentence sends a strong message to others who are endangering our communities by distributing illegal drugs and weapons that we will find you, and we will bring you to justice.”

The investigation formed part of Operation Sentinel – a partnership initiative targeting serious and organised crime across the region.

Anyone with information on criminality in their area should contact Durham Constabulary on 101, or report online by clicking here.

 Information can also be passed on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.