In a major victory for law enforcement, Craig McKenzie, a notorious drug boss, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following an extensive investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). McKenzie, 41, was found guilty of conspiring to supply heroin, cocaine, and cannabis from various locations including the Netherlands, Spain, and North America. He was a well-known figure in the criminal underworld of the North West of England.
Operating from his base in Hatchmere Close, Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, McKenzie employed runners to distribute drugs to his customers. While most of his clientele resided in Liverpool and Manchester, he also extended his illicit enterprise to Wales and London. Additionally, evidence revealed his involvement in money laundering activities, where he sent proceeds from drug sales to notorious offenders in Spain and the United Arab Emirates through illicit channels.
During the trial, it was revealed that McKenzie, who presented himself as a successful property business owner under the name ‘Teflon Holdings,’ led a lavish lifestyle. Despite declaring an income of only around £33,000 in 2021, he flaunted a £250,000 Richard Mille RM11-03 rose gold titanium watch, drove a brand new BMW X5 and a VW Tiguan R-Line. Further investigations uncovered £128,000 worth of designer goods and clothing, along with £33,000 in cash, when NCA officers raided his residence.
The NCA has initiated proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act against McKenzie, with assets totalling £1.5 million already restrained.
McKenzie’s arrest came in February 2022 as part of a wider NCA operation targeting high-end drug dealing facilitated through the EncroChat encrypted communications platform. EncroChat was dismantled in 2020, leading to Operation Venetic, a UK law enforcement response spearheaded by the NCA.
During their investigation, NCA officers meticulously analysed 11,043 messages exchanged between McKenzie’s EncroChat handle, ‘Manlydesert,’ and his accomplices. These messages, spanning from March to June 2020, exposed McKenzie’s close ties to prolific international criminals and his involvement in criminal conspiracies both within the UK and abroad.
The jury found McKenzie guilty of conspiring to supply 45kg of cocaine and 14kg of heroin, with a combined street value of £5 million, as well as 90kg of cannabis valued at £900,000. Furthermore, it was revealed that McKenzie had laundered approximately £400,000 during the same three-month period.
Having accumulated 18 separate convictions from 26 offences since his first conviction for robbery at the age of 13 in 1996, McKenzie’s criminal history includes being accused of murder in 2009. However, he was acquitted after claiming to have no involvement in drugs and presenting himself as a car dealer. Two co-accused individuals were convicted of the murder.
Dean Wallbank, the NCA’s senior investigating officer, highlighted McKenzie’s arrogance and belief that he was untouchable. Wallbank emphasised the significance of Operation Venetic, which has resulted in the conviction of previously under-the-radar offenders like McKenzie. The NCA remains committed to combating the supply of Class A drugs and the immense harm it inflicts on communities, both domestically and internationally.
