A 40-year-old man from the Newtownabbey area has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for serious drug offences linked to EncroChat, an encrypted phone network widely used by organised criminals.

Daryl Patton appeared before Londonderry Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, 2 July 2025, where he received his sentence. He will serve half of his sentence in custody and the remaining half on licence.

Patton's arrest in August 2020 was part of a specialist operation investigating individuals who used the EncroChat network to source and arrange the importation of Class A and Class B controlled drugs.

The charges for which he was sentenced include:

• Conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug

• Conspiracy to fraudulently import a Class A controlled drug

• Possessing Class A and Class B controlled drugs with intent to supply

• Being concerned in the supply of a Class A controlled drug

• Offering to supply a Class A controlled drug

• Possession of criminal property

Detective Inspector Pyper from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Organised Crime Branch explained: "EncroChat was an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups to plan illegal activity, typically drug importation and the movement of cash."

The investigation and today's sentencing are a direct result of Operation Venetic, a UK-wide law enforcement operation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and supported by European agencies, which successfully infiltrated the EncroChat network.

Detective Inspector Pyper continued: "Daryl Patton was arrested in August 2020 following a search at a property in the Newtownabbey area, where Police recovered mobile devices. An extensive examination of messages on the encrypted phone network revealed the defendant's involvement in a vast number of exchanges regarding drugs, methods to pay for drugs, as well as conversations relating to the transporting of Drugs into Northern Ireland."

He also acknowledged the collaborative effort involved in the case: "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 PSNI's Organised Crime Branch, that we were able to bring Patton 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."