Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
1 of 14 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
64/100
Evening Standard's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Four members of a criminal gang which plotted to import cocaine worth more than £20 million in frozen fish deliveries bound for a famous London market have been jailed.
asserted
which → plot → market
The group planned to import about 600 kilos (1,230lbs) of cocaine from South America that would be received by one of the gang’s legitimate businesses at Billingsgate Market, the Metropolitan Police said.
asserted
Police → plan → Market
The plot was dubbed the “Fish Conspiracy” by detectives with the four men handed sentences ranging from 13 years to 22 years for conspiracy to import Class A drugs.
asserted
men → dub → drugs
Samuel Tokeley, 57, of Alicante, Spain; and Nicholas Shilling, 63, of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were each jailed for 22 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.
asserted
Tokeley → jail → Friday
Scott Richards, 51, of Wickford, Essex, was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years, and Scott Unwin, 52, of Dagenham, Essex, was jailed for 13 years.
asserted
Unwin → sentence → years
Tokeley, Unwin and Shilling planned to import approximately 600kg of cocaine hidden within frozen fish shipments from South America, using Unwin’s legitimate fish business at Billingsgate Market to receive the load.
asserted
Tokeley → plan → load
The scheme was uncovered when encrypted conversations were spotted on the now-dismantled EncroChat platform.
asserted
conversations → uncover → platform
Although encrypted messages showed the group discussing payments, shipping documentation, logistics and contacts in Ecuador responsible for sourcing the cocaine, the importation never happened, the Met said.
asserted
Met → encrypt → cocaine
Recovered messages included conservations about the movement of cocaine, ketamine, large sums of cash and cryptocurrency, plus plans to use legitimate businesses and transport routes to try to hide their actions.
asserted
messages → recover → actions
The investigation also uncovered separate conspiracies to import industrial quantities of ketamine, with phone messages revealing plans for hundreds of kilograms of the drug to be sourced, processed on the continent and imported into the UK for wholesale distribution, the police said.
asserted
police → uncover → distribution
At Woolwich Crown Court, Tokeley pleaded guilty on Monday, 23 March, while Richards, Unwin and Shilling were convicted by a jury following a trial which concluded in May.
uncertain
which → plead → May
Read More
Detective Chief Inspector Dean Grafton, from the Met’s specialist crime unit, said the gang was “operating on an industrial scale”.
asserted
gang → read → scale
He said: “The defendants believed that encrypted communication platforms would protect them as they discussed vast quantities of drugs, laundering criminal profits and exploiting legitimate businesses to facilitate their offending.”
asserted
they → say → offending
The Met worked with the National Crime Agency and international law enforcement, he added.
asserted
he → work → Agency
The Aporia
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