A drug dealer was snared by his own Scarface cinema room after buying a rapid fire Uzi.
Paul Sutton, 40, sold cannabis, cocaine and crack through EncroChat encrypted phones and was arrested in his caravan in Devon by National Crime Agency officers. Sutton has since been jailed for 12 years and six months at Liverpool Crown Court.
Drug dealer Sutton was unaware of detectives reading his messages on the messaging network under the handle NuttyRose. He had attempted to purchase guns including an Uzi and Tec-9 sub-machine guns.
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French police hacked the network in 2020 and found messages from Sutton relating to a cinema room as he told of "lads doing cinema room". A deal for the Uzi and Tec-9 sub-machine guns was revealed to have fallen through in later messages.
Further messages saw Sutton attempt to purchase a kilogram of cocaine and indicated he had sold at least 11.5kg. He had also discussed using hidden compartments in his vehicles to move illegal substances and weaponry, BBC reported.
Sutton's house was raided on July 21, 2021, where a cinema room with Al Pacino's gangster film Scarface was found. A search of Sutton's property uncovered two bags of high-purity cocaine valued at £21,000 as well as £1,500 in cash. His caravan in Devon was also seized.
Senior investigating officer Dean Wallbank said: "Sutton mistakenly believed EncroChat was a safe space to conduct his criminal business. Once the National Crime Agency had Nuttyrose's messages, officers worked meticulously to identify who the user was and ensure that Sutton was brought to face justice."
He pleaded guilty to conspiracies to supply crack-cocaine and cannabis, conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property.
Sutton's bust is part of Operation Venetic, the NCA's "deepest ever penetration of organised crime groups".
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