Bishop Street courthouse in Derry
The 36-year-old defendant, from Belfast, was sentenced to three years and four months, half to be served in custody and half on licence.
The investigation and today’s sentencing stems from Operation Venetic which, led by the National Crime Agency and backed by European law enforcement agencies, successfully infiltrated the EncroChat network.
Detective Inspector McCamley from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch said: “EncroChat was an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups to plan illegal activity, such as drug importation and the movement of money. And this is the second sentencing of its kind in recent weeks*.”
He continued: “Warren Shaw was identified by police as the user of an encrypted mobile phone and he was arrested in July 2020.
“Although Shaw initially denied involvement, an extensive examination of messages on the encrypted phone network revealed his involvement in an international drug distribution network, as well as the movement of a large sum of money.
“Last December, he pleaded guilty to a number of drugs-related offences, all carried out between March and June 2020.
“These included being concerned in the supply of a Class A controlled drug, namely cocaine, and entering into an arrangement to acquire criminal property.”
Detective Inspector McCamley added: “Throughout this case we have worked closely with partners, including prosecutors from the Public Prosecution Service and the National Crime Agency.
“It’s thanks to such collective efforts, backed by the expertise of detectives from the Police Service’s Cyber Crime Centre and the Economic Crime Unit, that we were able to bring the defendant before the court.
“This is a welcome milestone, and a reflection of our ongoing commitment to bring those involved in criminal activity to justice. Working with partners, we will continue to disrupt the movements and activities of organised crime groups, who bring nothing but harm to the most vulnerable within our communities.”
Last week Rory Trainor appeared before the same court having been charged with offences linked to EncroChat.
He was sentenced to 5 ½ years – half to be served in custody and half on licence.