Man used encrypted network to sell machine guns

A man from North Yorkshire who used an encrypted phone network to sell drugs and machine guns has been jailed for more than 26 years.

Just one month after he was released from prison in March 2020, Nathaniel Hollywood, 39, began to broker the sale of multiple firearms to other criminal associates.

The weapons he offered for sale included AK-47 assault rifles and Skorpion and Uzi sub-machine guns.

On Thursday at Teesside Crown Court, five years after serving an 11-year sentence for dealing cocaine, Hollywood was jailed again.

He had pleaded guilty to six charges of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs, breaching a Serious Crime Prevention Order and intentionally assisting or encouraging an offence.

Within weeks of being released from prison, Hollywood, of Dondeen Avenue in Thirsk, acquired an encrypted EncroChat phone and set up the handle Tasteful Crow.

Use of this encrypted phone network allowed users to hide their illegal activities from police until French law enforcement infiltrated the platform in 2020 and shared the content of criminals' messages with the National Crime Agency and UK police forces.

Messages obtained from Hollywood's encrypted phone also showed that he conspired to supply large quantities of cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and ketamine between March and June 2020 to North Yorkshire and elsewhere.

Police officers found numerous discussions about price, profits, funding and delivery, as well as images of drugs within the chat.

Hollywood played a leading role in the enterprise, according to North Yorkshire Police, and the messages revealed he had substantial links and influence over others in the supply chain.

Det Con Fiona Saunderson said: "Organised crime remains one of our top priorities in North Yorkshire Police.

"This case shows how we are relentless in our pursuit of people who commit this type of crime.

"We will continue to seek and use serious crime prevention orders to safeguard our communities and reduce the risk posed with drugs supply."

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