Met investigation leads to 11-year sentence for footballer intent on flooding south London with drugs

A man has been jailed after a Met investigation accessed his Encrochat device and discovered an operation using south London gangs to supply cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of £3million.

Footballer Jason Pusey, 34 (18.02.89) of Coperland Crescent, Market Weighton, York was sentenced to 11 years and three months imprisonment on Tuesday 2 July at Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court. Pusey was sentenced to jail for his role in the supply of 107kgs of cocaine, 235kgs of ketamine, and 447kgs of cannabis.

Detective Constable Duncan Askew, responsible for the investigation from the Met's Specialist Crime team , said: "Pusey arranged large-scale drug deals while also maintaining a well-respected football career. On the surface he appeared as a doting family man - but he was making millions sending commercial scale amounts of controlled drugs to south London gangs. He did this all with no thought of the misery and devastation caused in London communities by drug supply, and the violence it leads to.

"Operation Eternal investigations over the last three years have resulted in the Met identifying and jailing major players in the criminal fraternity, and stemming the flow of drugs and guns onto the streets. The drugs trade relies upon exploitation and violence to operate and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those involved, and put them before the courts."

Detectives from the Met closed in on Pusey and began investigating the Encrochat handle 'IrregularFog' in June 2020.

EncroChat is an encrypted communication network. Evidence showed that between March 2020 and June 2020 Pusey was the sole user of the encrypted EncroChat mobile phone and was involved in the whole sale distribution of class A and B drugs. Passwords matched the names and date of births of Pusey's family members,the locations of the EncroChat phone matched those of his mobile phone, and messages on the device matched Pusey's extremely specific travel details.

There was evidence within the EncroChat device which showed that Pusey had been running a very successful drug operation. The EnchroChat device also had on it many messages regarding the importation of the Class A drugs into the UK and the very detailed routes being used by different importers and couriers.

Pusey was arrested at his home address on Tuesday 20 June 2023 and charged on Wednesday 21 June with the offences.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drug (cocaine), conspiracy to supply Class A (Ketamine), and conspiracy to supply Class B (Cannabis) at Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court on Wednesday, 26 July 2023.

As part of A New Met for London, the Met is focusing on community policing, ensuring that it tackles the crimes that are of most concern to residents. Drug have a devastating impact on local communities and are often linked to exploitation, anti-social behaviour and violent crime, The Met is relentlessly focused on using precision, data-led policing to bring these unscrupulous criminals to justice.