A gang of ‘industrial scale’ drug dealers who were brought down when their encrypted phone network was compromised have been locked up for more than 40 years.

Nico Easton, Robert English and Mark McKeswick were brought to justice after French police hacked EncroChat in 2019 and recovered thousands of encrypted messages.

The North East drug traffickers were jailed after they were convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and source a firearm as part of their criminal enterprise.

Easton was the Teesside link to the crime network, while English and his right-hand man McKeswick headed up operations in the Newcastle area.

The Stockton man, who was using the name "Dior Metal" on the messaging platform, was trying to buy 1kg of heroin, alongside 3kg of mixing agent.

Nico EastonNico Easton (Image: Cleveland Police)

Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, said Easton was a client of co-accused English while McKeswick worked for the Newcastle man.

“Mr English was clearly giving multiple kilo amounts to customers,” he said. “There was a note found after Easton complained about the heroin, saying he had supplied 10 previous customers with that heroin batch and Easton was the only one to complain.”

Mr Pettengell said English managed to keep his hands clean while McKeswick carried out a number of duties on his command.

Robert EnglishRobert English (Image: Cleveland Police)

During their trial, jurors had heard how Easton and English were trying to source a handgun and a silencer while trading in large quantities of illicit drugs.

All three defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to acquire a firearm.

English, of Woodlands, Throckley, was also found guilty of the possession of criminal property. McKeswick, of Muswell Hill, Newcastle, was also found guilty of being concerned in the production of heroin and the possession of criminal property.

Rod Hunt, representing Easton, of Lowfields Walk, Stockton, said the 31-year-old had endured difficult circumstances in prison when he was jailed during Covid for a separate drug supply charge.

Jeremy Barton, representing, 42-year-old English, said his client had feared for his life and told the judge that he was not at the top of the drug supply network in the region.

Mark McKeswickMark McKeswick (Image: Cleveland Police)

While Christopher Knox, representing McKeswick, said the 49-year-old was always under the direction of others throughout the conspiracy.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Get access to the latest offer for annual or monthly subscription. Click here for details.

Sentencing the trio, Judge Chris Smith said: “As is so often the situation, drugs lie at the heart of this serious offending. Each of you was, no doubt, attracted by the large sums of money you could generate from dealing on an industrial scale.

“The profits you were chasing come at a serious cost, the cost borne by society through the misery and addiction of others and the fear instilled in the public by gun which is increasingly going hand in hand with drug trafficking.”

Easton was jailed for 15 years and six months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to acquire a firearm without a certificate.

English was jailed for 18 years and eight months for his role in the conspiracy while his lieutenant McKeswick was locked up for 13 years and three months.