Two men who traded in drugs and firearms jailed for almost 40 years

Max Williams from Wolverhampton and Daniel Morgan from Birmingham tried to hide their illegal and dangerous dealings behind encrypted phone chats – their crimes were cracked as part of an international operation, Target, by officers at West Midlands Police.

The pair thought they would get away with it by using encrypted messaging app EncroChat, a phone messaging service favoured by criminals who think messages sent on it can not be seen by law enforcement officials – however, they were found out and investigators began pulling together a case against the pair.

Williams was found to be a broker in firearms, ammunition and class A drugs and the decoded chats showed that he was trading in semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons, as well as ammunition.

Hiding behind the username 'Skilledtwig', he spoke openly about his business and had regular conversations with Morgan, who called himself 'Noisy Jade'.

Both men were also involved in the buying and selling large quantities of cocaine, heroin, MDMA and different strains of cannabis in addition to hundreds of pills which are believed to have been ecstasy.

In 2020, law enforcement agencies in Europe had developed a way to collect to data from EncroChat, and the information was shared with officers from the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands Region (ROCUWM).

Chats showed the men sourcing the drugs and taking a wage, or as they put it 'a drink' off the top of the costs.

Through cross-referencing the pair's chats, mobile data, and images from their phones, investigators were able to link them to their criminal trade.

Among the images was a photo of a semi-automatic pistol, which was being traded with another firearm for around £15,000, and a photo of a kilogram block of cocaine, stamped with the word 'Paris'.

Most of the discussions the men had around drugs talked of quantities in kilograms, half kilograms and quarter kilograms.

Morgan was arrested on December 10, 2020, and an address he was using in Tyndale Crescent, Birmingham, was searched. Officers seized cocaine and heroin valued at over £5,000, as well as £85,000 in cash.

Williams, aged 36, was arrested from his home in Sambrook Road, Wolverhampton, on December 11, 2020, where a number of phones were seized.

Williams denied supplying Class A and B drugs and the supply of firearms and ammunition but was found guilty after a four-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court in October last year. He was jailed for 24 years on May 2.

Morgan, aged 40, of Parkeston Crescent, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing, and was sentenced to 15 years.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Cooke from ROCUWM said: "This was a highly intricate investigation which has seen us break up a supply chain of both firearms and drugs.

"As a result we've stopped significant quantities of drugs and numerous firearms from ending up on our streets. And both these men have now been given jail terms that will see them remain bars and out of our communities for a substantial amount of time.

"Our commitment to removing guns and drugs from our streets as Op Target continues force-wide, with the us taking a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime."

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "The successful prosecution and sentencing of the Max Williams and Daniel Morgan is a positive step in the fight against drugs and weapons trafficking.

"The defendants thought they could evade detection using the encrypted communications service Encrochat but thanks to strong collaborative working between the CPS and West Midlands Police, French authorities and other criminal justice agencies, they have been held accountable for their actions, keeping these dangerous commodities off our streets.

"It is hoped that the sentence will act as a deterrent for others who use encrypted networks to commit serious offending."