Three men jailed for their involvement in the large-scale supply of illegal drugs

Three men have today been jailed for their involvement in a drug enterprise which saw the large scale selling of drugs on the dark web and their onward transmission via post in disguised packaging.

Joe McNally, 33, Robert Brewster, 55, and Benjamin Martin-Bynoe, 34, were sentenced at Reading Crown Court on 8 April 2024 after each pleading guilty to four counts of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug and four counts of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the exportation of drugs.

The CPS prosecuted the defendants following an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) under Operation Venetic.

The law enforcement operation revealed incriminating messages about the supply of drugs on the dark web, from the EncroChat encrypted messaging platform.

Between June 2019 and March 2021, McNally, formerly of Wokingham, oversaw an organised drug enterprise on the dark web.

It was evident from EncroChat conversations that McNally was in charge of the financing and direction of the business and maintained the covert infrastructure which allowed it to operate.

Martin-Bynoe, of Castlehaven Road, Camden, helped to adulterate the Class A, B and C drugs sold to help them maximise profits and repackaged them for distribution.

Brewster, of High Road, Brent, London, was tasked with transporting money and sending the packages. The illegal drugs were sent to customers worldwide, via the Royal Mail, in disguised packaging to help them avoid detection.

The defendants were arrested separately, on 19 June 2020, at three different properties. During the arrests and search of the properties a number of electronic devices, bags and packages containing thousands of pounds in cash, a designer watch worth £31,000, post office receipts, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were found and seized.

Rebecca Sharp, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The defendants in this case were involved in a sophisticated criminal operation which saw a large-scale supply of illegal drugs, sold online and sent worldwide.

“Despite their considerable efforts to evade detection - using the dark web, cryptocurrency and encryption software to disguise their criminal business – the overwhelming amount of evidence against each defendant meant that they had little choice but to admit their involvement.

“The CPS worked closely and effectively with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit to prosecute this organised crime group, building a strong case and bringing them to justice.

“We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against Joe McNally and Benjamin Martin-Bynoe to recover the proceeds of their criminal conduct.”

Detective Inspector Rob Bryant, of SEROCU, said: “McNally, Brewster and Martin-Bynoe have all admitted their involvement in this sophisticated supply of drugs. By using Enchrochat devices they attempted to evade law enforcement and hide their activity.  

“However, due to the hard work of SEROCU, especially Detective Constables’ Tracy Jones and Jo Waites, we were able to prove that these three men were linked to those devices and they will now spend time in prison.  

“The sentences handed down today would not have been possible without the drive and determination shown by our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service.  

“The supply of drugs can cause untold damage to those in our communities and we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.  

“Dedicated officers working in Regional Cybercrime and Dark Web teams will robustly seek to identify and prosecute those using the dark web to commit crime whilst also working collaboratively at national, regional and force level with the support from the CPS. Criminals should not believe that using the dark web will protect them from being identified.” 

More than 1,000 individuals have been prosecuted so far under Operation Venetic as a result of material obtained from the criminally dedicated communications platform Encrochat.