Drug kingpin's £45million plot foiled after his own 'Bob the dog' photo showed key detail

Members of a Brit pack were jailed for 163 years collectively and person been asked to wage much than £1million pursuing a monolithic National Crime Agency bust aft a dog-led tipoff

A cause kingpin imploded his ain £45million cognition aft a drawback helium sent of his dog unveiled a cardinal detail.

Danny Brown, 57, and respective chap pack members were collared by cops pursuing an probe by the National Crime Agency (NCA) that foiled a massive drug trafficking plot. Brown, Stefan Baldauf, 64, and Philip Lawson, 63, were brought to justness nether Operation Venetic aft officials uncovered plans to nonstop 448kg of MDMA worthy £45million to Australian accomplices.

Revealing the bust this week, the NCA said the radical had planned to smuggle the drugs successful the limb of an excavator, and rigged an auction to guarantee they could scope their chosen recipients. But the program was foiled aft Brown sent Baldauf a representation of "Bob the dog", including a cardinal item connected his collar.

The photograph Brown sent to Baldauf showed the French Bulldog with his partner's fig connected its tag, allowing NCA officials to beryllium Brown, of Kings Hall Road successful Bromley, Kent, was portion of the conspiracy. Baldauf was besides instrumental successful the cognition erstwhile helium made a akin mistake aft helium sent a connection connected an encrypted chat the offenders believed was impenetrable.

Baldauf, of Midhurst Road, successful Ealing, London, sent a representation connected EncroChat showing his reflection successful a brass doorway sign. Investigators utilized the 2 incriminating pictures successful grounds to reason the 2 were portion of a conspiracy. Baldauf has present been ordered to repay implicit £1 cardinal pursuing a proceeding astatine Kingston Crown Court wrong 3 months oregon person an further 7 years connected a 28-year condemnation helium is presently serving down bars.

The NCA recovered Lawson had arranged a welder to chopped unfastened and seal the digger, with the drugs inside, was besides ordered to wage £182,476, and sentenced to 23 years down bars. He besides has 3 months to wage the sum, oregon the tribunal volition adhd a further 3 years to his sentence.

Brown was jailed for 26 years, and faces a confiscation proceeding aboriginal this twelvemonth alongside William Sartin, 63, whose concern portion concealed the drug-carrying excavator and was sentenced to 23 years down bars. Altogether, the 7 men progressive successful the crippled were jailed for 163 years, with Australian Federal Police besides undertaking their ain prosecutions.

Chris Hill, who led the NCA investigation, said: "These criminals did not attraction astir the misery and exploitation that the proviso of amerciable drugs bring to UK and Australian communities. All they cared astir was money. So these proceedings are immensely achy for them, hitting them successful their pockets and are a important mode of showing different organised criminals that the consequences bash not extremity erstwhile the situation doorway slams shut.

"The NCA continues to bash everything possible, moving astatine location and abroad, to support the nationalist from the menace of amerciable drugs supply."