Dubai Extradition: Organised Crime Boss Jailed for 12 Years Over £5M Class A & B Drug Conspiracy

The head of an organised crime network who fled the United Kingdom while on police bail has been sentenced to 12 years and six months’ imprisonment following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.  

Max Matthews, 31, formerly of Albion Drive, London, appeared in court on August 6, where he admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, and cannabis, alongside a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.  

Matthews absconded in July 2021 as officers from Essex Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit progressed their investigation. He was located in Dubai and extradited to the UK in February.  

The court heard that between March and July 2020, Matthews operated at the apex of an organised crime group responsible for directing large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering operations across West Essex and London.  

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Investigators established the network handled 74 kilograms of cocaine, 12.5 kilograms of heroin, and 50 kilograms of cannabis, alongside moving more than £5 million in illicit cash, with weekly movements reaching hundreds of thousands of pounds.  

The gang was brought down under Operation Venetic, the UK law enforcement response to the breach of EncroChat, an encrypted messaging network used globally by organized criminals. International law enforcement data enabled detectives to identify the network through EncroChat handles.  

Matthews used the handles 'Kingspainard' and 'Encrogeezer' to manage ledgers, buy multi-kilogram batches of Class A and Class B drugs, and distribute images of contraband and financial transactions. The court was told evidence also demonstrated underlying violence, including an instance where Matthews offered £20,000 to have an individual assaulted.  

To date, seven co-conspirators have received sentences exceeding 40 years combined. These included Matthews’ second-in-command, Henry Allpress, who used the EncroChat handle 'Comebackking'. Allpress was tracked to Spain with the assistance of the National Crime Agency and extradited back to the UK, where he was jailed for 13 years in 2023 for conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs and money laundering.  

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Detective Inspector Frazer Low, of Essex Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, stated that the EncroChat evidence provided unprecedented insight into the enterprise, adding that the sentence demonstrates organised criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing abroad.