Jason Pusey, a 34-year-old footballer from Coperland Crescent, Market Weighton, York, has been sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison following a Metropolitan Police investigation that accessed his EncroChat device. The investigation uncovered his involvement in a drug operation supplying cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of £3 million, utilizing south London gangs.
On Tuesday, July 2, Pusey was sentenced at Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court for his role in the supply of 107kgs of cocaine, 235kgs of ketamine, and 447kgs of cannabis.
Detective Constable Duncan Askew from the Met’s Specialist Crime team explained that Pusey was orchestrating large-scale drug deals while maintaining a respectable football career. Despite his outward appearance as a devoted family man, Pusey was profiting from the commercial distribution of controlled substances to south London gangs.
DC Askew highlighted the detrimental impact of Pusey’s actions on London communities, emphasizing the connection between drug supply and the ensuing violence and misery. He noted that Operation Eternal, conducted over the past three years, had successfully identified and imprisoned key figures in the criminal underworld, curtailing the flow of drugs and firearms onto the streets.
“The drugs trade relies upon exploitation and violence to operate, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those involved and put them before the courts,” said Askew.
The investigation into Pusey began in June 2020, focusing on the EncroChat handle ‘IrregularFog.’ EncroChat is an encrypted communication network commonly used by criminals. Evidence showed that between March 2020 and June 2020, Pusey was the sole user of the EncroChat mobile phone and was heavily involved in the wholesale distribution of Class A and B drugs.
Passwords on the device matched the names and birthdates of Pusey’s family members, and the locations of the EncroChat phone corresponded with his mobile phone. Messages on the device also aligned with Pusey’s specific travel details, further implicating him in the operation.
The EncroChat device contained messages detailing the importation of Class A drugs into the UK, including routes used by different importers and couriers. Pusey was arrested at his home on June 20, 2023, and charged the following day.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine), conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (ketamine), and conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cannabis) at Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court on July 26, 2023.
No comments:
Post a Comment