Two drug kingpins have been convicted at the Old Bailey of plotting to murder a rival and smuggling millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK. James Harding, 34, and his 'loyal right-hand man' Jayes Kharouti, 39, ran a criminal empire that made £5 million in profits from importing drugs over 10 weeks in 2020 alone.
The court heard how the pair tried to recruit a hitman to kill an unnamed rival courier, arming him with a gun and ammunition for a 'full M' – a murder. Harding, who claimed to be a high-end watch sales executive, lived in luxury in Dubai, staying in five-star hotels and driving Bugatti and Lamborghini sports cars.
The plot was uncovered by Scotland Yard officers who accessed encrypted messages on EncroChat after French police cracked the encryption code. The trial was held amid heightened security, with armed police escorts to and from court.
On Tuesday, both were found guilty of conspiracy to murder, while Harding was also convicted of conspiring to import cocaine. Kharouti had previously admitted drugs offences. They were remanded in custody to be sentenced on Thursday.
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said the defendants discussed importing a tonne of cocaine over 10 weeks. Harding used the nickname 'thetopsking' and Kharouti used 'besttops' and 'topsybricks'. The pair discussed robbing a drugs courier, which escalated into a plan to kill him, with Kharouti offering £100,000 and later £120,000 for the hit.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey said: 'This conviction sends a clear message: no matter how sophisticated the methods, criminals cannot hide behind encrypted software.' Detective Inspector Driss Hayoukane added that over 500 criminals have been convicted since EncroChat was cracked, leading to over 5,000 years of sentences.
