A man from Wolverhampton has been found guilty of dealing in firearms and kilograms of drugs after his encrypted phone chats were revealed as part of an international operation. Max Williams, operating under the radar of law enforcement agencies, is now facing imprisonment as a result of a large-scale operation conducted by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crimes Unit (ROCU).
Williams believed he could avoid detection by using EncroChat, a phone messaging service commonly favoured by criminals due to the belief that messages on the platform were inaccessible to law enforcement. However, the investigation, which forms part of Operation Target, aimed at targeting the most serious criminals in the West Midlands, uncovered his illegal activities.
Williams acted as a broker for firearms, ammunition, and class A drugs, as revealed by the decoded chats. The conversations exposed his involvement in trading semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons, as well as ammunition. He frequently communicated with an individual known as Daniel Morgan, who went by the username Noisy Jade. Both individuals were also implicated in the buying and selling of substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and various strains of cannabis, along with hundreds of ecstasy pills.
In 2020, European law enforcement agencies developed a method to gather data from EncroChat, which was subsequently shared with ROCU. Chats obtained from the platform revealed that Williams and Morgan sourced drugs and took a cut from the proceeds. Using a combination of cross-referencing chats, mobile data, and images from their phones, investigators were able to establish a connection between the suspects and their illegal trade.
Images found on their devices included a semi-automatic pistol being traded for approximately £15,000, as well as a kilo block of cocaine bearing the stamp “Paris.” The majority of drug-related discussions between the two individuals revolved around quantities measured in kilograms, half kilograms, and quarter kilograms.
Morgan was arrested on December 10, 2020, and a search of an address he was using in Tyndale Crescent, Birmingham, resulted in the seizure of cocaine and heroin with an estimated value of over £5,000, along with approximately £85,000 in cash. Williams, aged 35, was arrested at his home in Sambrook Road, Wolverhampton on December 11, 2020, and multiple phones were confiscated.
During a four-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Williams denied supplying class A and B drugs, as well as firearms and ammunition. However, he was found guilty of the charges. Morgan, aged 39, of Parkeston Crescent, Birmingham, had previously pleaded guilty. Both individuals are scheduled to be sentenced on December 19.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Cooke from ROCU hailed the complex investigation, stating that it had resulted in the dismantling of a supply chain for firearms and drugs. He emphasised the potential harm caused by the weapons traded by the defendants and the misery brought upon communities by the drugs they supplied. Cooke highlighted the use of the defendants’ own words and actions in securing their convictions, emphasising the commitment to removing guns and drugs from the streets as Operation Target continues its force-wide efforts against serious and organised crime.
