Essex duo jailed for supplying drugs to organised crime groups
Mark Ransome and Cara Leach sentenced to 18 years for cocaine distribution
Two individuals from Essex have been sentenced to a combined total of 18 years in prison for their roles in supplying drugs to organised crime groups.
Mark Ransome, aged 61, and Cara Leach, aged 42, were arrested in July 2020 for their involvement in conspiracies to distribute large quantities of cocaine.
Ransome utilised an EncroChat phone, a heavily encrypted device used by criminals for anonymous communication, to coordinate his crimes.
In 2020, law enforcement agencies infiltrated the platform, leading to Operation Venetic, a UK-led response managed by the National Crime Agency.
Messages from March to May 2020 unveiled Ransome's activities using the handle ‘beanflicka’, where he worked with two organised crime groups to manage cocaine distribution.
A gang member known as ‘blacknarco’ coordinated with Ransome to utilise a storage facility in Malden, Essex, for cocaine unloading and distribution.
Ransome received £10,000 monthly for providing access to the facility and had priority access to the product. He also arranged use of another unit in Great Totham for £2,500 per occasion, including his personal address.
Additional investigations revealed Ransome's businesses facilitated the handling of at least 136 kilos of cocaine, valued around £12 million. After a dispute with ‘blacknarco’, Ransome collaborated with another group using contact ‘luxurytrain’.
Ransome personally transported drugs for this second group, including a 41-kilo cocaine collection from Falmouth and Chingford, with at least 45 kilos linked to him, valued at roughly £3.7 million.
Cara Leach, while not using an EncroChat device, was found to have acted as a courier, frequently transporting cocaine and cash for Ransome.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, both used UPS uniforms and forged key worker documentation to travel without drawing attention.
The pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs in January 2026 at Snaresbrook Crown Court and were sentenced on Tuesday, 23rd June at the same location.
Andrew Tickner, Senior Investigating Officer from the Organised Crime Partnership, stated: “Ransome thought he could hide behind EncroChat to benefit from the activities of organised crime. The conspiracies were sophisticated and involved multiple agents to create an efficient supply chain for hundreds of kilos of cocaine. Leach was part of that chain, motivated by greed and without a care for the consequences of her actions. The OCP is dedicated to fighting the threat posed by organised crime and we will continue to dismantle networks that damage our communities through the supply of class A drugs.”