52-year-old Stephen "Octo-hand" Earle, a criminal gang leader, was arrested in Portugal, extradited to the UK, and charged for drug trafficking through EncroChat with his cousin.

52-year-old Stephen Earle, also known as 'Octo-hand', was arrested in Faro, Portugal by the Polícia Judiciária Fugitive Team in January. Earle, a senior leader in a criminal gang, was extradited back to the UK in March. He and his cousin Terence Earle, 50, used the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to run a drug trafficking operation between Merseyside and Motherwell, involving at least 10 kilos of heroin and 7 kilos of cocaine.

April 17, 2024
5 Articles