A major drug dealer, Dean Cooper, 51, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after police broke into a secure messaging service to uncover his criminal activities. Cooper was supplying massive quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and cannabis.

The breakthrough came with Operation Venetic, an investigation that hacked into EncroChat servers in Roubaix, France, in April 2020. This operation allowed law enforcement to mine incriminating data from the previously secure service used by criminals worldwide.

Cooper operated under the alias "Berrystar" and was instrumental in flooding Manchester, Liverpool, and Sheffield with drugs. His communications on EncroChat, including a message recommending a butcher's shop, helped investigators link him to his criminal alias.

During a raid, police found evidence including a bank transaction for trainers that matched his EncroChat messages, strengthening the case against him.

Cooper pleaded guilty to multiple charges, confirming his involvement in these large-scale drug operations. The NCA has emphasized the importance of targeting Class A drugs to protect the public.