Jamie Cassidy was the gang's distribution man.
Jamie Cassidy was the gang's distribution man. (Image: PA)
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A number of criminals have been caged in Scotland after French authorities cracked the highly encrypted Encrochat messaging service in 2020.
Gangsters, drug lords, weapons dealers and county lines runners have been rounded up after their dodgy dealings were exposed on the app.
The Record's series will explore Scotland's biggest Encrochat busts - and the individuals behind the deals who believed they were untouchable.
Nuclear-Dog
Using the 'Nuclear-Dog' handle, Jamie Cassidy distributed vast amounts of cocaine in Glasgow and across the UK.
The former Liverpool FC prodigy was the distribution man behind the multi-million pound drug operation, which shipped industrial amounts of cocaine from South America into Europe.
His team of drug dealers punted cocaine in Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.
His older brother Jonathan and his business partner Nasar Ahmed were the leaders of the gang who operated what is believed to be one of the largest drug rackets in the UK.
They shipped industrial amounts of cocaine from South America into Europe. up to 356 kilos of the class A drug, with an estimated street value of £26 million, in hidden modified vehicles.
Once the cocaine landed in the UK, Jamie Cassidy distributed it across the country through his network of trusted couriers.
However, the law eventually caught up with them after the infiltration of the EncroChat network.
The three were jailed for a combined total of 55 years, after admitting their role in the operation in March of 2024.
Jamie Cassidy previously played alongside Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen, and went onto win the FA Youth Cup in 1996 while playing for Liverpool's youth team. Liverpool beat a West Ham team which included future England stars Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard.
But Jamie, a midfielder, was released without making a first team appearance after a series of injuries. He later signed for Cambridge United before playing for non-league sides.
In his 2008 autobiography, Carragher said Cassidy ‘would have been a certain Liverpool regular if he hadn’t suffered so much with injuries’.
Prosecuting, Richard Wright KC told Manchester Crown Court that the men each used the encrypted ‘EncroChat’ devices, to arrange the ‘purchase, importation, sale, and distribution’ of multi-kilo quantities across the North of England. They also moved up to £10 million in cash in the space of three months by way of money laundering.
“The first importation occurred in early March 2020, when 194 kilograms of cocaine, embossed with Snowmen, 020 and 457, was imported into the county by Jonathan Cassidy,” the prosecutor said.
Jonathan Cassidy
Jonathan Cassidy.(Image: PA)
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“The payments for that consignment were arranged largely by Nasar Ahmed.”
A comparison of the notes between Ahmed and Jonathan revealed that Ahmed was responsible for transferring at least £1,250,000 of the £3,500,000 paid for the Snowman embossed kilos of cocaine.
“That consignment was distributed by others acting under the direction of Jamie, who in turn oversaw the collection of the cash owed by those taking possession of the drugs,” Mr Wright said.
“His role, however, was primarily to pass on his brother’s instructions to others and ensure things ran smoothly.”
Jonathan dealt directly with the customers when it came to the amounts they owed - chasing those who he considered had not paid promptly enough and balancing the book, the prosecutor said.
In April 2020 Jonathan took a picture of the television program he was watching, Narcos, and sent it to one of the lieutenants in the racket, ‘SomeElectric’. He joked about the fact El Chapo has the same birthday as him, and SomeElectric replied “Coincidence I think f***ing not”.
Throughout April, Jonathan arranged to buy multiple kilos of cocaine, then contacted Ahmed who arranged the payments with Hawallada bankers based in Amsterdam.
Nasar Ahmed.(Image: PA)
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A fourth man, Joshua Avis, is alleged to have arranged for 23 kilos of cocaine to be supplied to a client in Haarlem, Amsterdam. He denies the offences and is currently wanted by police after being granted bail by the courts.
“The April consignment arrived a few days later and between April 14 to April 14 2020 Jonathon Cassidy directed Jamie Cassidy as he in turn oversaw the distribution of the 162 kilograms which had been imported,” Mr Wright said.
Further analysis from the Encrochat devices showed that notorious drug dealer Leon Atkinson was supplying multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine, sourced from and supplied by Ahmed.
The court heard that Ahmed, who went by ‘DottedJaw’, and Jonathan, who went by ‘WhiskyWasp’ also discussed using ‘Sky EEC’ devices, another encrypted messaging system.
Business continued until June 13 2020, when a message was sent out to all Encrochat users, reading: “Today we had our domain seized illegally by government entities(s). You are advised to power off and physically dispose of your device immediately.”
Ahmed was arrested at his home address after he searched for a number for the Emirates airline. Officers found a Sky EEC device, £6,345 in cash.
On July 8, Jonathan Cassidy used his iPad to read a number of articles on the Manchester Evening News including: “Locked up in June: The criminals put behind bars in Greater Manchester in June”, and “The text message that spelled the end for Manchester’s Gangsters”.
He later drove to Manchester Airport and boarded a flight to Dubai. His messages revealed he had been looking at buying a £2 million villa, along with a £22,000 bed. He also made several searches for ‘Jamie Cassidy’ to see if his brother had been arrested, and ‘emboldened’, he returned to the country and was arrested.
Police later seized from his house £24,430 in cash, a United Arab Emirates Residence card and driving licence; a Rolex watch and designer clothing.
In November 2020 Jamie Cassidy was arrested. Officers recovered a police case summary for ‘Operation Embossed’, an encrypted phone, a telephone with an Estonian SIM card, a black machete and £380 in cash.
Jamie Cassidy, of Knowsley Lane, Knowsley - responsible for distributuon of an OCG's cocaine across the north of Englan
Jamie Cassidy.(Image: No credit)
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Jonathan Cassidy was said to have a previous conviction for possession of ammunition and an offensive weapon; Nasar Ahmed has previous convictions for possession of a prohibited weapon, assisting an offender by impeding his apprehension or prosecution and money laundering; and Jamie Cassidy has a conviction for dissimilar offence.
Paul Greany KC, mitigating for Jamie Cassidy, said he was of ‘exceptional talent and promise’.
“At the age of nine he was playing alongside Jamie Carragher. At 15 he was the leading goal scorer for England under 16 team between 1993 and 1994,” he said.
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean KC, the Recorder of Manchester described the operation as ‘sophisticated’, though said Jonathan’s self-comparison to El Chapo was a ‘stupid exaggeration’ and ‘entirely fanciful’.
He said both Ahmed and Jonathan acted at an ‘executive level’, with Ahmed acting as the 'facilitator of the financing' of the importation organised by Jonathan, and described Jamie to have a ‘managerial’ role, instead taking instructions from his brother.
Jonathan Cassidy, of Warren Road, Crosby, was jailed for 21 years and nine months. Ahmed, of Moreton Drive, Bury, was jailed for 21 years and nine months. Jamie Cassidy, of Knowsley Lane, Knowsley, was jailed for 13 years and three months.
They each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. Jonathan Cassidy and Nasar Ahmed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on the importation of class A drugs.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing was set for December 12, when prosecutors will attempt to claw back some of their ill-gotten gains.
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