A Bromley man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for drug offenses. He was caught using a secret messaging app to facilitate drug deals.
Bromley: Michael Hall, a 60-year-old from The Chase, just got a hefty sentence. He’ll spend seven years and nine months behind bars for drug offenses.
Hall pleaded guilty after police intercepted his messages on EncroChat. This app was thought to be secure, but it turned out to be a goldmine for law enforcement.
Between January and June 2020, Hall used the nickname ‘Insane Snail’ to broker drug deals. Prosecutors say he’s no stranger to this world, having been jailed before.
He had previous sentences of two years in 1997 and eight years in 2011 for cannabis supply. Hall was well-connected in the drug trade, helping others buy and sell drugs.
One of his contacts, Jack Tahir from Beckenham, is serving ten years for distributing over a million pounds worth of drugs. They both used EncroChat to communicate.
Hall’s messages showed he was involved in supplying significant amounts of drugs, including 5kg of cocaine and 6.5kg of ketamine. He was arrested at home last July.
In court, it was revealed he only made a modest profit from these deals. Facing financial troubles, he returned to the drug business after being ordered to pay back his previous gains.
The judge made it clear: Hall made his choices and must face the consequences. It’s a tough lesson learned for him.
