ENCROCHAT CAPER: Two Essex Dealers Jailed for £15m Drug Empire

Mark Ransome, 61, and Cara Leach, 42, from Essex, are behind bars after a major sting operation. The Organised Crime Partnership, a joint NCA and Met unit, cracked their code in the encrypted world of EncroChat. Ransome, alias ‘beanflicka,’ orchestrated the supply of over 180 kilos of cocaine, worth around £15 million, to two organised crime groups. He leased storage units, provided fake business fronts, and even wore a UPS uniform to blend in during lockdowns. Leach, his accomplice, acted as a courier, transporting drugs and cash across the region. Both pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court and were sentenced to 18 years combined. Senior Investigating Officer Andrew Tickner: ‘Ransome thought he was untouchable behind EncroChat. We dismantled his entire operation.’