THIS is the bizarre moment a grinning drug lord jumps for joy as he’s arrested – although he’s not laughing now as he’s been banged up for 43 years.
Jamie Rothwell, 38, from Salford, was filmed while being arrested by Spanish cops after he was identified as running a £26million drugs empire in Greater Manchester.
GMPJamie Rothwell does a little dance as he is led away by Spanish cops[/caption]
MEN MediaRothwell is seen grinning as he is arrested in Barcelona[/caption]
Rothwell has now been sentenced to 43 years in prisonPA
In the short footage, a handcuffed Rothwell is pictured smiling and talking to the arresting officers.
When he is led away, wearing shorts and a black t-shirt, he does a little dance and then kicks his legs in the air.
Rothwell, has now been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, along with nine other associates, who were sentenced to a total of 163 years and 11 months.
The drug lord pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life; one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition with intent to endanger life; conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A, namely cocaine; two counts of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and a single count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B, namely ketamine.
International law enforcement agencies were able to infiltrate the once encrypted messaging service EncroChat, in April 2020 and detectives from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Organised Crime Group launched a covert investigation into the gang.
When the encrypted platform was compromised in April 2020, Rothwell was living in Spain and continuing to organise the importation and distribution of drugs, firearms, and criminal cash from abroad.
Despite his attempts to evade justice, detectives were able to monitor his encrypted communications in real time, exposing his command over a sprawling criminal enterprise and his involvement in the trafficking of high-powered weapons, including AK-47 rifles.
His drug empire was estimated to have a street value of around £26million – he was deported back to the UK in 2021 to face trial.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Colin Shackleton said: “The supply of Class A drugs in this investigation were on an industrial scale, with the criminal gang making eye-watering profits.
“They believed they were above the law, and having access to their messages gave us real insight into their arrogant, egotistical, and apathetic nature.
“This has been a complex and long-standing investigation which has spanned years and international borders.
“These sentences today are testament to years of hard work by Greater Manchester Police SOCG team, Cheshire SOCU, the Crown Prosecution Service, Prosecution Barristers, the NCA and our partner agencies.
“It is not uncommon for suspects to flee the country in a bid to avoid facing the consequences of their crimes, but this case epitomises our dedication of bringing offenders to justice, regardless of where they try and hide.
“International collaboration was crucial to this case, and here we worked closely with the National Crime Agency and the Spanish authorities, and we continue to do so to locate fugitives who are currently at large.
“We share the common goal to see these people behind bars and we will do all we can to achieve this.”
UnpixsRothwell pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to a string of drugs and firearms offences[/caption]
UnpixsDetectives from GMP launched a covert operation into the gang[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
