A pair of drug dealers who used encrypted mobile phones to organise the supply of large amounts of cocaine and ketamine across Kent have been jailed.

The criminal conspiracy between Jack Daniels and Andrew Talbot, who were based in Sandgate and Folkestone, was uncovered by detectives after police in France and the Netherlands infiltrated the Encrochat software they used to communicate.

Intelligence shared with the National Crime Agency in the UK led to an investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate into a user of the shady network with the alias 'simplyned'.

Detectives used phone mast data to narrow the location of the encrypted data traffic and they discovered the majority was coming from the area close to Daniels' home in Wellington Terrace, Sandgate.

Police could now see that Daniels coordinated the supply and distribution of the banned substances, but he often sent a courier to collect the contraband on his behalf.

In the encrypted conversations between March and June 2020 they had uncovered the courier was named 'Andy' and further enquiries led to him being identified as Talbot, of Upton Close in Folkestone.

Eventually officers had gathered sufficient evidence to execute simultaneous warrants at their respective homes in November 2020.

"They were involved in huge exchanges of these substances and believed they were untouchable..."

DI Kris Eberlein, from the serious organised crime unit, said: "Daniels and Talbot used a sophisticated and heavily-encrypted messaging system to openly talk about the supply of cocaine and ketamine on our streets.

"They were involved in huge exchanges of these substances and believed they were untouchable.

"Although the infiltrated conversations provided us with reasonable suspicion to go after them, our detectives had to painstakingly review evidence from a variety of sources to prove, without any doubt, these two men were the offenders responsible."

During the raids around £4,500 in cash was found hidden inside a shoe in Daniels' bedroom, alongside handwritten notes which were linked to the conversations on Encrochat.

Small quantities of cocaine were also located at Talbot's address. Both men were taken into custody and promptly charged and remanded.

Daniels, 32, pled guilty to conspiring to supply cocaine and ketamine and yesterday at Canterbury Crown Court he was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison.

Talbot, 32, pled guilty to the same two offences and was jailed for five years.

Speaking after the sentencing, DI Eberlein said: "I am pleased that they have now been held to account.

"This result is clear proof that our team has the resources and expertise to target organised drug suppliers who are acting on a large scale.

"We're going to continue to target criminals involved in similar activity, and the public can expect to see more results such as this throughout the year."