North Devon drug dealer jailed

He used an encrypted app to carry out his business

A drug dealer from North Devon who used a sophisticated encrypted phone platform to carry out his business has been jailed.

Anthony 'Tony' Hern, 41, of Channel View in Ilfracombe, has been sentenced to four and a half years after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

The court heard how in 2020, Hern was a user of an encrypted phone platform called EncroChat.

EncroChat was a disguised application on an app used almost exclusively by organised criminals and crime groups.

The devices which run the software cost thousands of pounds. Once signed up, users could then disguise their real identity.

Messages showed he had been acting as a buyer, arranging a price and co-ordinating the delivery of two one kilgram blocks of cocaine.

He was found ot have paid £78,000 for both of them.

After he was arrested, his home was searched and £15,000 in cash, along with Rolex watches and two expensive vehicles.

In his interview, he admitted his past involvement.