Conspirator of million-pound firearm and drug plot jailed alongside fellow Salford supplier rumbled by encrypted messages

A pair of organised crime members from Salford, who were part of a class A drug conspiracy totalling around £1million, have been jailed for over 22 years between them.

Jonathan Musgrove and Neema Seifzadeh - both aged 27 - were sentenced yesterday (Tuesday 11 January) and are the latest to be criminals to be rumbled by detectives from our Serious and Organised Crime Group since the takedown of the encrypted communication platform EncroChat - the largest law enforcement operation in UK history.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Musgrove - who was previously unknown to police - facilitated the buying and selling of cocaine and ketamine, as well as acting as the intermediary in the firearms conspiracy through the use of EncroChat under the name of 'Big Tyson'.

Seifzadeh - using the alias of 'Grapejuice - also admitted his role in the conspiracy to supply ketamine.

It concluded an 18-month investigation by our anti-gang investigators as part of the operation that saw the men be part of the 250-plus arrests made as part of GMP's strand of the National Crime Agency's Operation Venetic.

Detectives discovered how via the encrypted devices - between April and June 2020 - Musgrove was routinely dealing cocaine in multi-kilogram quantities that were being couriered across Salford and the wider Greater Manchester region, with thousands of pounds often changing hands.

Following the infiltration of the encrypted network, both men were arrested on 2 July 2020 and high-value assets were seized by police - such as Rolex watches, designer shoes and accessories, and Apple devices - which helped the investigation team form a picture of the lifestyle the pair were living based on the money they were making through the conspiracy.

After pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, ketamine, and firearms, Musgrove, of The Quays, was jailed for 16-and-a-half years; while Seifzadeh, of Bury Street, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply ketamine and has now been ordered to serve six years imprisonment.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing will take place in April 2022.

Detective Constable Dave Moran, of our Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: "These two men were responsible for the conspiracy that illicitly profited from flooding the streets of Greater Manchester with ruinous drugs that wreck lives and contribute to the violent crime we sadly so often see in our towns and cities.

"Musgrove was also responsible for conspiring to supply potentially deadly firearms and it is a relief to know he will be spending so long behind bars; and that his fellow drug conspirator will not be back on the streets for several years.

"Again, we can see the impact that the takedown of EncroChat has had on bringing to justice the most serious organised criminals - including the likes of Musgrove who would otherwise had possibly gone undetected by law enforcement had it not been for this unprecedented breakthrough.

"Despite the gold mine presented to us by the evidence taken from the encrypted network, a large amount of work has still had to go in to securing these convictions and ensuring the maximum volume of evidence can be brought before the courts to compel these men to admitting their criminality - and I thank everyone involved in helping to ultimately bring these men to justice."