Ex-footballer jailed for 30 years for working £2million cocaine and weapons ring

An ex-footballer was sentenced to 30 years in jail after being discovered responsible of working a £2million worldwide drug and gun ring.

Wayne McKenzie – who used to play skilled soccer in Scandinavia – was given a hefty sentence behind bars for supplying Brit drug sellers with cocaine and hashish from the likes of the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States.

The 48-year-old ran the operation alongside brother Craig McKenzie, 41, with the medicine they equipped carrying a worth of greater than £2million at avenue worth which occurred over a four-month interval.

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The brothers have been caught out by cops in 2022 after authorities hacked the EncroChat cellphone community the pair had been utilizing to supply medicine earlier than promoting them. McKenzie appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Friday (February 16) the place he was accused of six offences as a jury discovered him responsible earlier than he was jailed for 30 years.

According to the BBC, The National Crime Agency (NCA) discovered that McKenzie and his brother have been linked to £2m value of medicine between March and June 2020 with many of the unlawful substances imported have been to sellers in Liverpool and Manchester, with sellers in Wales and London additionally equipped.

Alongside the medicine, the ex-footballer was additionally discovered to have been concerned in “extensive” discussions about bringing weapons to the UK as he as soon as mentioned in a dialog that the potential smuggling of a firearm into the nation would go “straight to kids in London”.

During a raid of his residence, police discovered varied hidden telephones, a “burner” cellphone, a number of pairs of high-priced designer trainers, in addition to paperwork linked to a enterprise used for cash laundering.

In what was a two-week trial, McKenzie was discovered responsible of conspiracy to import firearms, conspiracy to import hashish, caring within the provide of cocaine and collaborating in an organised crime group.

While he was given three a long time behind bars, his youthful brother Craig was sentenced to twenty years final October after being convicted of medicine provide offences.

NCA operations supervisor, Dean Wallbank mentioned: “Wayne McKenzie was prolific in trafficking both drugs and firearms, selling them onto gangs and laundering the profits through notorious criminals without concern.

“Our investigation has dismantled this household crime group, which introduced hurt to the streets of the UK. Those streets are safer with him behind bars.”