Man jailed for 10 years for Class A drugs conspiracy

A Knowsley man has been jailed for more than 10 years today, Friday 11 October, for conspiracy to supply 40kg of cocaine and money laundering.

Carl Murphy, of Home Farm Road, Knowsley Village, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.

The 54-year-old pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to conceal/convert/transfer criminal property, in relation to the movement of around £697,000 in total.

The drug dealer played a significant role by acting as a courier and collecting, counting and delivering drugs and cash on behalf of others.

Detectives carried out an extensive investigation and discovered a trail of clues identifying Murphy as the user of the Encrochat handle ‘winterbarber’.

Murphy provided his home address and postcode to another Encrochat user, and his vehicle was also identified.

Detective Inspector James Boardman said: “Murphy engaged in criminal activity that would have helped to flood the streets with millions of pounds worth of cocaine.

“Our work continues to detect and arrest those involved in the sale and distribution of Class A drugs, as well as those involved in the movement of the ill-gotten gains from this trade.

“I think this sends a clear message to criminals that crime doesn’t pay – and we’ll continue to be relentless in our pursuit of offenders.  

“I would ask anyone who has any information about who is supplying or selling drugs in their area to contact us so we can take action.” 

Anyone with information on suspected drug production or criminal activity in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.