A drug dealer who boasted about his lavish lifestyle on an encrypted messaging service has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Simon Rooney, 39, from Burnley, used the handle 'Luxuryfall' on the platform to supply cocaine and other illegal drugs.
Ms Rooney did not know that her messages had been recovered by French law enforcement and shared with the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Venetic.
NCA officials began investigating Luxuryfall's messages on Encrochat in May 2020. After examining thousands of messages, it was revealed that Luxuryfall was involved in the supply of cocaine and the class B drug mephedrone.
Luxury Falls also discussed importing cutting agents, such as a horse dewormer called Tetramisole, to mass produce pharmaceuticals to increase potential profits.
Investigators later identified Rooney as the person behind Luxury Falls. Thinking that Encrochat would give him complete anonymity, Rooney shared images of his car, garden, and house, and described the extensive work he was doing in his home.
One of the messages was, “Mate, we've demolished this house. It's a nice area, but it looks like a football player has moved in. When we render everything, the walls are knocked out and it's open plan, with a huge kitchen in the front. We dug out all the gardens and created a huge drive that could fit 10 cars…”
The NCA, working with Thames Valley Police (TVP) and Border Force, launched an investigation to determine Rooney's involvement in the supply of drugs.
On May 24, 2020, Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport seized 336 kg of tetramisole recovered from an incoming flight from Hong Kong.
NCA officials later identified the email address listed on the shipment's documents as belonging to Rooney. Rooney also shared images of the paperwork via Encrochat under the guise of Luxury Fall, further proving his connection to investigators.
Large quantities of tetramisole, when mixed with cocaine, are estimated to have a wholesale value of around £47 million.
Images of products confiscated by Border Force and images of the cocaine Rooney sent hoping authorities would see it.
In June 2020, TVP officers investigating a fatal road traffic collision executed a search warrant at Manor Park in Kidlington. They recovered 60kg of amphetamine, with a street value of around £600,000.
TVP investigators found evidence suggesting Rooney supplied amphetamines to organized crime groups operating in the Thames Valley and south-east England.
Subsequent forensic analysis of the drugs confirmed this by identifying Rooney's DNA on the drugs and packaging.
TVP and NCA officers worked together to execute a warrant at Rooney's home address in Burnley on 7 October 2021. Rooney was arrested at his home and subsequently charged.
Rooney was found guilty on Tuesday, April 9, after a four-week trial at Oxford Crown Court, with the jury finding him guilty of five counts of supplying cocaine, mephedrone and amphetamines and conspiracy to procure and supply cutting agents. He was found guilty.
NCA senior investigator Andrew McGill said: “The NCA, Border Force and Thames Valley worked together to close the net on Rooney. By gathering irrefutable evidence of Rooney's crimes, we will ensure he is brought to justice. I guaranteed that.
“We have also removed large quantities of drugs and cutting agents from circulation, so they do not harm local communities or the proceeds from their sales are used to line the pockets of criminals. .”
TVP investigating officer PC Adam Taylor said: “This is a great result for everyone involved.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked with me on this case. It was not an easy trial, but I appreciate the jury's deliberations that led to the guilty verdict.
“Rooney is currently serving a lengthy custodial sentence and significant quantities of drugs have been removed from the supply chain.”
