Three Dark Web Drug Dealers Get A Cumulative Of More Than 20 Years In Prison

09/08/2019

Officers have arrested three men, and sentenced them for their roles in a "sophisticated" global online drug-dealing business.

Colin McCabe, Toby Woods and Robert Price, have earned more than £1 million after selling Class A drugs on the dark web, Thames Valley Police said.

The three have used the cryptocurrency Bitcoin to avoid detection, and had sold drugs to people in the UK and as far as Australia.

Operating under the name 'Project4', the drug dealers' network on the dark web was fist discovered by the FBI, which then contacted the police in the UK.

They were caught red-handed when detectives matched the DNA of one of the men to packaging on envelopes containing drugs.

Robert Price and Colin McCabe
Robert Price (left) and Colin McCabe (right) were sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court (credit: SEROCU/BBC)

After arresting McCabe, the detectives from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) found evidence of his drug dealing activities, including packaging materials and phones containing addresses of buyers.

The police then headed to Price's residence, and found 1.3kg of cannabis resin with a street value of £13,200 and 580g of MDMA with a value of over £10,000.

The police also found a hard drive that contained images of bundles of £20 notes

Judge Francis Sheridan said that he had never come across a drug supply operation “as sophisticated or well organized as this one.”

According to Detective Inspector Rob Bryant:

"McCabe was the key player in the organisation and coordinated the buying and selling of the substances and used encryption software and the dark web in an attempt to remain anonymous."

"Unfortunately for McCabe and his accomplices, we have a dedicated team of cyber specialists working tirelessly to identify those looking to utilise the internet for illegal purposes, and we are completely driven to apprehend such criminals and bring them before the courts."

McCabe who was the leader of the dark web gang, was handed a 12-year sentence after admitting conspiracy to supply drugs including cocaine, ketamine, and cannabis.

Price was jailed for 9 years and 9 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs, and Woods was sentenced to 14 months behind bars after admitting entering into or being concerned in the acquisition or control of criminal property.