Wellingborough EncroChat cocaine gang put behind bars

A Wellingborough cocaine kingpin who used EncroChat to plan his criminal activities saw his empire come crashing down when he was stopped just off the A45.

Niall Chinnock used the Europe-based network - primarily used by organised crime members - to purchase wholesale amounts of drugs which he was then supplying onwards to other suppliers in Northamptonshire.

During a period of ten weeks between March 31 and May 27, 2020, 49-year-old Chinnock bought 6kg of cocaine using the platform to arrange the deals.

But he needed a place in Wellingborough to store his stash - and he found the perfect pair in Zoe Hutson, 35, and Kirt Hutson, 37, at Elizabeth Close.

A major investigation subsequently established that he had been using the Hutsons to store cocaine from at least January 2020. They had allowed him a key and to come and go as he pleased.

The trio were finally caught on May 27, 2020, when at 11.30am, Chinnock was stopped in a white Peugeot Partner van off the A45 near Stanwick. Inside the vehicle were four bags of high-purity cocaine, believed to be samples for his onward suppliers.

Police also seized two mobile phones, one of which was an encrypted device with the ability to use EncroChat.

The Hutsons' address was then searched and two rucksacks and a cash counting machine were located on top of a wardrobe in the spare room.

Each rucksack contained a safe, one with a kilo block of cocaine worth £80,000 found inside. Also in the rucksacks were three further bags of cocaine worth £6,000, £34,000 in cash, disposable gloves and elastic bands. Found elsewhere in the house were scales, re-sealable ‘dealer’ bags and smaller amounts of cocaine.

The trio all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine at a court hearing in November last year.

At Northampton Crown Court on Monday (February 28) ringleader Chinnock, formerly of Wellingborough, was handed ten years in prison with the two Hutsons sentenced to four years apiece.

Lead investigator Hazel Score, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Niall Chinnock used sophisticated means to run his drugs business.

“In a ten-week period he spent over £240,000 on bringing drugs into Northamptonshire to be supplied in the county for profit.

“The Hutsons were important to his operation, allowing him to store his drugs and cash float away from his own address to help him facilitate the sale of this cocaine.

“I hope all three of them use their time inside to reflect on the poor choices they have each made, in order to make better ones when they are eventually released.

“Tackling the supply of drugs will always be a priority for the police and I am pleased that this operation was able to disrupt a persistent and high-volume drug supply network.”