British Drug Lord Convicted for Plotting Murder and Smuggling Cocaine Worth £100m into the UK from Dubai

A British drug lord, James Harding, and his associate Jayes Kharouti were convicted after a major EncroChat investigation. They plotted to murder a gangland rival from Dubai, where Harding lived luxuriously. The plot was foiled by Scotland Yard officers who accessed their EncroChat discussions. Harding was also convicted of conspiring to import cocaine, generating a £100 million criminal empire.

Harding and Kharouti discussed hiring a hitman to kill a courier, offering £100,000 for the murder. The plan involved a 'double tap' shot to the head and chest. Despite setbacks, they continued planning the murder near the proposed gunman's home. The hitman was arrested, and the defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to murder and drug offenses.

Harding flaunted his luxury lifestyle on EncroChat, sharing images of himself in Dubai driving luxury cars. The pair discussed importing cocaine and distributing it in the UK, making a profit of £5 million in just 10 weeks. Harding and Kharouti face 'substantial sentences' for their crimes.

The case was part of a wider operation targeting criminals using EncroChat. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey emphasized that criminals cannot hide behind encrypted software. Over 500 criminals have been convicted since the EncroChat platform was cracked in 2020, with well over 5,000 years of sentences handed down.

According to the source: Daily Mail.