Three men have been jailed for a total of 13 years and three months after French authorities cracked the EncroChat messaging service in 2020, exposing their drug dealing in Scotland.
The EncroChat bust
Paul Martin, 45, Peter Dickson, 36, and Grant Jaap, 32, were part of an organised crime group based in Glasgow and surrounding areas involved in the supply of diamorphine and cocaine. Their encrypted conversations on EncroChat were intercepted by French authorities, who infiltrated the network and shared the intelligence with Police Scotland.
Police linked the handles 'Happy.com', 'Tubbyraven' and 'Lividbeta' to the three men. Martin orchestrated the operation under 'Happy.com', Dickson used 'Tubbyraven' as second in command, and Jaap, known as 'Lividbeta', stored, adulterated, and distributed multi-kilo quantities of drugs on Martin's behalf.
Evidence from encrypted messages
Recovered conversations included a March 27, 2020 message from Jaap to Martin with photos of one-kilogram packages of cocaine embossed with an 'Oakley' stamp. On April 15, 2020, another user sent Dickson a picture of a kilo block of cocaine, and they discussed the stamp and heroin supply. Dickson and Martin later discussed offering heroin at £18,000 per kilo.
The next day, Martin, in Spain, joked with Dickson about working harder, saying “how am a meant to get away and chill in the sun if you aren’t working”. Messages also discussed delivery of cocaine and poor-quality blocks with an Audi logo. On May 14, Martin told Dickson to work over the weekend rather than “sitting mad with it”, and Dickson replied with a photo of a large bundle of money.
Arrests and sentencing
Martin fled Scotland in March 2021 and lived in exile for over a year. Police raided Jaap's home two months later, recovering 1.996kg of cocaine and 4.986kg of diamorphine, with a street value estimated at £296,672. In June 2021, Martin's unoccupied home was searched, and £46,882 of designer goods and clothing were recovered.
Martin was traced to the Canary Islands and arrested by Spanish police in Tenerife in August 2022, then extradited to Scotland. All three pleaded guilty to serious and organised crime in March 2024 and were sentenced to a total of 13 years and three months. Martin and Dickson also received Serious Crime Prevention Orders for three years, effective upon release.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework, said the sentencing should act as a strong warning. She said: “This was a coordinated effort to release significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs throughout the Central Belt of Scotland. With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on our communities.” Proceeds of Crime proceedings have been commenced to confiscate profits from criminal conduct.
