We wanted to highlight a court result to you.

Six men have been sentenced to a combined total of more than sixty years in prison for their involvement in the supply of cocaine and cannabis in the Waterlooville, Gosport, Emsworth and Portsmouth areas between September 2019 and April 2022, following a 6 week trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The investigation, called Operation Portable, led by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit with support from the Eastern Area Crime Team and Neighbourhood Policing Teams, was launched after police identified that 60-year-old Stephen Lyons was involved in the purchase and supply of multiple kilos of cocaine from at least September 2019 onwards.

The case that was subsequently taken to court involved forensic evidence from large sums of cash that were seized, encrypted mobile phones and associated drug supply messages, drugs and paraphernalia seizures, and surveillance evidence.

Lyons, along with 39-year-old Peter Morrison, worked together to source large quantities of cocaine and cannabis using the encrypted messaging service EncroChat. They then used 61-year-old Kenneth Guy’s home address in North End to store and prepare the drugs for sale in a secure back bedroom they called “the den”.

EncroChat was accessed by law enforcement across the UK and Europe in 2020, allowing police officers the ability to extract data to target and disrupt organised criminals. The service was subsequently shut down.

Mobile phone messages identified a further suspect – 48-year-old David Roberts – who was a customer of Lyons and Morrison, with cocaine subsequently being recovered from his address in Emsworth in 2021. The investigation found that he had been supplied with 2 kilos of cocaine.

Police were able to hack the PIN code for two mobile phones from Roberts’ son Max, which revealed a separate Emsworth-based cocaine supply conspiracy that involved David and Max Roberts, 26-year-old George Barnes, and others. Max Roberts and Barnes were also involved in a vehicle stop check in Waterlooville in April 2022 where more than £20,000 of cocaine - just under half a kilogram - was seized by officers.

On Thursday 13 June this year, a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court returned the following verdicts:

o   Conspiracy to supply cocaine between Sept 2019 and June 2021 with Peter Morrison, Kenneth Guy and others.

o   Conspiracy to supply cocaine between March 2020 and April 2021 with Peter Morrison and David Roberts.

o   Conspiracy to supply cannabis between Sept 2019 and June 2021 with Peter Morrison and others.

o   Conspiracy to transfer criminal property (cash) between Sept 2019 and Nov 2019 with Mahmoud Lebleb (who was previously jailed for this offence in September 2022).

o   Conspiracy to transfer criminal property (cash) between Nov 2019 and June 2021 with Peter Morrison and others.

o   Failing to comply with a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) notice ordering the disclosure of the PIN to an EncroChat handset

o   Possession with intent to supply Class C drugs (benzodiazepines).

Peter Ashley Morrison, 39, of Bromyard Crescent in Portsmouth, had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine with Stephen Lyons, Kenneth Guy and David Roberts, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to transfer criminal property (cash).

On Monday 12 August at Portsmouth Crown Court three of the six men were sentenced. Max and David Roberts were both jailed for a total of nine years each. HHJ Ashworth found that Max and David Roberts were responsible for the supply of at least 15 kilograms of cocaine. George Barnes received a suspended sentence of two years and 100 hours of unpaid work.

On Friday 6 September at the same court Stephen Lyons was sentenced along with Kenneth Guy. The court heard that both had written letters of apology to the Judge with Lyons stating he hoped the Judge believed in the “power of redemption”. HHJ Ashworth found that Lyons was responsible for the supply of 115 kilograms of cocaine over a period between 2019 and 2021. Lyons was jailed for a total of twenty two years. Guy was jailed for five and a half years.

Finally on Thursday 19 December Peter Morrison was sentenced for his involvement in this drugs conspiracy and a separate drugs conspiracy investigated under the name Operation Graffiti. Morrison was jailed for seventeen and a half years for the Operation Portable offences. The judge stated he was responsible for the supply of 73 kilos of cocaine with Lyons.

Investigating officer DC Al Charnley from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: “The sentencing of all thirteen men for their involvement in the drugs conspiracies that were investigated under Operation Portable and Operation Graffiti is a significant milestone in these long-running and complex investigations. The disruption of these gangs is a great success for the Constabulary and for the officers and staff who worked tirelessly to bring these offenders to justice.

“Tackling drug related harm is an absolute priority for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, as the supply of drugs is often connected to other offences such as high levels of violence, or even the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable adults and children, which is why we relentlessly pursue those involved. These sentences demonstrate very clearly that we will not tolerate the supply of drugs in Hampshire & on the Isle of Wight. If you are involved in activity like this, we will find you and bring you to justice.

“We continue to encourage anyone who has information about drugs supply in their neighbourhood to report this to us, as this helps us build up an overall picture of the issues affecting your area.”

If you have concerns about drug-related activity in your neighbourhood please contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Spotting the signs

We encourage our communities to spot the signs that someone might be involved in drugs supply, and to report any suspicious activity to us via 101, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website or Crimestoppers where reports can be made 100% anonymously.

Some of the things to look out for and consider include:

Further information on EncroChat and how the network was infiltrated can be found on the NCA website via the following link: NCA and police smash thousands of criminal conspiracies after infiltration of encrypted communication platform in UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation - National Crime Agency