Arrested after £1million drug deal was intercepted
Mark Breagan, Alfie Whitbread and Georgie Norris
Three men from Ealing have been jailed for their part in a drug deal worth over a million pounds.
Isleworth Crown Court had heard that the trio were members of a sophisticated organised criminal network which operated through the use of encrypted Encrochat devices.
20-year-old Georgie Norris of Burnham Way received 12 years and eight months imprisonment, 38-year-old Mark Breagan, of Evergreen Court, Ruislip Road, was sentenced to 10 years and four months imprisonment and 21-year-old Alfie Whitbread of Cambridge Road, Ealing, got eight years and 10 months. They were sentenced alongside 32-year-old Matthew O’Brien of Northdown Close, Ruislip, who received 15 years and nine months. All four pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs on 18 March.
The men were the west London part of a capital-wide operation. The east London group included 32-year-old Lee Willetts of Greenford who was one of three men jailed on drug charges at Woolwich Crown Court in September of last year.
The conspiracy started with the west London group supplying cocaine to the east London group with O’Brien, Norris, Breagan, Whitbread acting as associates to arrange the distribution of multiple kilos of cocaine.
Coke seized during the bust
On a weekly basis, the west London group were supplying in excess of 10 kilos of cocaine for onwards distribution to east London’s ultimate market in Kent and the south east of England.
Over time, the two groups formed a partnership in which those at the top discussed collective importations of cocaine of up to 100 kilos.
On 13 May 2020, Morris was observed bring bags to Whitbread. £232,595 in cash was later found in the bags. Then two days later, Lee Willetts was observed leaving his home in Greenford. He was stopped by police in West Sussex while en route to the Kent customer base. He was found in possession of 11 kilos of cocaine, ranging from 80-87% purity.
On 4 August 2020, O’Brien, Norris, Breagan and Whitbread were arrested at their addresses on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Seized from Mark Breagan’s address was an Encrochat device and approximately £50k in cash.
A box of cash seized during the operation
Specialist crime detectives were able to download material from the encrypted device dating from March-June 2020 which gave officers access to daily chats within the group. The material consisted of photographs of cocaine stamps, large quantities of cash and messages arranging distribution of cocaine and money laundering.
Detective Inspector Stephen Masterson, from the Met's Specialist Crime North Unit, said, “These convictions show how seriously the Met is committed to investigating and convicting those involved in the commercial supply of Class A drugs.
“There is no doubt the content of the messages from their Encrochat devices demonstrated the scale of the operation being run by this crime group which has led to such significant sentences.
“The link between drug-dealing and violence is clear and the consequences cause misery in communities across London. We will continue to stop drug suppliers from operating and profiting from their illegal activity, and bring them to justice."
To report crime, call 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers never ask for your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or the device you use.
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March 22, 2022
