A drug dealer in Luton who flaunted his illicit wealth by pouring Champagne over Rolex watches in a nightclub has been jailed for more than 15 years, The Daily Mail reported.
Mansoor Kiani, 28, tried to hide his drug-dealing activities by using an encrypted phone communication system called EncroChat.
He was arrested in November 2020 after police cracked the system as part of the UK's biggest ever law enforcement operation by Bedfordshire Police, Operation Costello, which began in spring 2020, the report added.
After a three-day trial at Luton Crown Court, he was found guilty of conspiracy to supply and sentenced to 15 years and six months behind bars.
According to the report, the trial was shown videos of Kiani parading his illicit wealth being driven around in a Ferrari as well as his antics in the London nightclub.
Messages showed he was arranging meetings with drug and cash couriers and coordinating payments to suppliers, and deciding on codewords.
The Mail report said that Kiani was linked to a specific handle, and investigators backed this up by matching the location of his encrypted device to his other, non-encrypted phone as it connected to different mobile phone masts.
He messaged another criminal associate in central Luton to renew his subscription to the EncroChat platform in one specific exchange of messages.
"There is no doubt that Kiani was behind the distribution of multiple kilogrammes of cocaine and heroin, something which will have no doubt had a significant and harmful impact across our communities. Operation Costello is not looking at street dealers; we are going after the big players involved in fuelling local drugs markets," Detective Inspector Tom Stean was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
"These individuals are funding lavish lifestyles off the back of violence, exploitation and the misery of others. Unexplained wealth and expensive items bought via cash are key indicators that someone may be involved in organised crime."
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)