A man who stashed £630,000 in supermarket and sports bags at his home has been jailed after police cracked an encrypted phone network.

Karl Lockey, 32, of Sinclair Way, Dartford , was jailed for two years for money laundering yesterday.

When searching his address, officers found the cash hidden within 12 shopping and sports bags, along with an EncroChat phone and a cash counting machine.

EncroChat was a encrypted platform used by serious organised criminals across the UK which was sensationally smashed by a multinational team of detectives earlier this year.

Messages on the system seen by investigators indicated Lockey was involved with money laundering and had conversations arranging meetings with secret verbal passwords, discussions and pictures of the hoarded cash and receipts of the counted amounts.

Motorcycles, designer clothes and expensive fishing equipment were also seized as high-value items showing off his criminal lifestyle.

Lockey pleaded guilty to money laundering and was jailed following a Maidstone Crown Court hearing yesterday.

It follows an investigation led by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), working in conjunction with Kent Police.

The search formed part of Operation Venetic, a UK law enforcement operation tasked with investigating criminal activity linked with the Encrochat communication network.

Detective Inspector John Tacey, from ERSOU’s criminal finances team, said: “This was a significant cash seizure and there’s no doubt that Lockey was a trusted component in criminals’ efforts to launder illicitly-made cash."

"This is the latest outcome from Operation Venetic, which has already led to unprecedented results across the eastern region and allowed law enforcement to take out a key tool used by criminals across the country and beyond.

“Although significant numbers of arrests and seizures have already taken place, our specialist teams continue to work tirelessly on a number of ongoing investigations to ensure we apprehend those involved in criminal activity in eastern England.”

“In addition to the sentence, my team are using the powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to remove any ill-gotten gains acquired by Lockey. We remain committed to stopping criminals from benefiting from crime.”

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