A MAN has been jailed for more than 21 years after police dismantled a drugs and firearms operation run through a network known as Enrochat.

Samuel Black, 28, of Dormers Rise, Southall, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Monday (9).

Black was involved in the supply of at least two firearms, a .38 Revolver and a semi-automatic Walther PPK, and had access to other firearms (9mm Glocks) and ammunition.

He had also conspired with others to supply more than 14.75 kilograms of cocaine, 60 kilograms of ‘skunk’ cannabis and handled around £2m in cash.

Specialist crime officers and staff from Met Intelligence were able to review data and attributed the owner of the ‘SAVAGETOPS’ and ‘EUROSANDPOUNDS’ handles as Black.

They closed in on Black after European partners accessed the encrypted communications network.

They were able to attribute the handle to Black by careful analysis of images of a living room and bedroom, sent on Encrochat.

In these images, Black was counting large sums of money. He was known to have stayed in the property in 2020 and, when they compared the decoration and the layout of the rooms in 2022, they were identical.

Black’s nickname was ‘Crack’ and that is how he referred to himself to on Encrochat.

He also made the mistake of uploading an image of himself.

Det Insp Driss Hayoukane said: “Black arranged large-scale drug and gun deals to make as much money as possible, with no thought of the misery and devastation he would cause in communities.

“He believed using encrypted devices rendered him untouchable. However, the Met is unceasing in our efforts to target and dismantle the organised criminal networks which seek to blight our streets."