'TommyBooth's' 'shopping list' of AK47s and sub-machine guns

A drug and weapons dealer who operated under the EncroChat handle 'TommyBooth' brokered deals on AK47 assault rifles and sub-machine guns from his "firearms shopping list". Chester man Robert Duff was uncovered as the prime suspect using the EncroChat handle when the encrypted messaging platform was hacked by European law enforcement in May 2020.

Data obtained from a three-month snapshot, where law enforcement agencies were able to monitor the activity on the platform without criminals knowing, showed Duff using EncroChat to operate as a high-level broker of drugs and firearms. He was seen to negotiate prices for kilo amounts of class A drugs from those involved in the importation of the bulk amounts.

He conspired to facilitate the supply of 7.5 kilos of cocaine, acting as a broker, sitting between the seller and end purchaser. He also ran his own multi-kilo cannabis supply operation in the Chester area, supplying 27.5 kilos of cannabis during the EncroChat capture period.

Duff also conspired to act as a broker for firearms, including AK47 assault rifles and sub-machine guns. He circulated a "firearms shopping list" and images of the weapons around his EncroChat contacts, offering them for sale.

He was arrested on December 6 2023 by officers from Cheshire Constabulary's serious and organised crime unit. He was subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs (cocaine and cannabis) and conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons.

Duff, 32 and of Hoole Lane in Chester, pleaded guilty to the charges and appeared at Chester Crown Court for sentence on Monday, August 19. He was jailed for 12 years and six months.

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Henderson of the Cheshire Constabulary's serious and organised crime unit, said: "This is part of a long running operation to strike at the heart of gangs who peddle drugs on a large-scale, causing misery and pain in our communities for their own monetary gain.

"Duff acted as a broker, negotiating prices for a multi-kilo drug supply, on behalf of a number of well-established organised criminals via the EncroChat network. As part of his role, he sought out potential buyers for significant quantities of cocaine and deadly firearms, all to make a quick profit.

"Duff was motivated to become a key player like his associates - he had his own cannabis supply operating locally in Chester and was also conspiring to set up a substantial cocaine supply network in the north of England. He ran his conspiracy through a platform he believed would keep him under the radar. But after EncroChat was infiltrated, officers were able to comb through messages attributed to Duff under a codename and collect a catalogue of evidence against him."