'Skint Harry' jailed for 12 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin

George Powell was arrested at Manchester Airport on July 21 last year, after he was identified as the user of the Encrochat handle ‘skint-harry’.

Police were able to establish at he was the user of that handle thanks to personal information he disclosed within the messages, including details of relatives, addresses and vehicles linked to him.

George Powell (40) of Hillside Road, Southport, was later sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 12 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs including cocaine and heroin.

He pleaded guilty to these offences at a previous hearing, and accepted that he had been responsible for conspiring to supply 9kg cocaine and 5kg heroin between March and June 2020.

Detective Inspector Peter McCullough said his Encrochat messages revealed his clear involvement “as a leading figure in drug conspiracies that could have caused suffering to families and residents in our community”.

“His messages clearly identified him as the user of the ‘skint-harry’ Encrochat handle, which showed his involvement in conspiring to supply significant amounts of cocaine and heroin, causing misery to the people of Merseyside and potentially beyond.

“We know the destruction that drug supply causes and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and to bring down serious and organised criminal groups.”