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Ex-Footballer Jailed for £500k Drug Ring
4 Feb
Summary
- Ex-footballer jailed for nine years for drug trafficking.
- Password 'barrow' on encrypted phone led to his arrest.
- Sold cocaine and ketamine worth £500,000.
Francis Ventre, a 63-year-old ex-footballer for Barrow A.F.C., has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for his significant involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Ventre played a leading role in distributing cocaine and ketamine, with the total street value of these substances reaching £500,000.
Operating under the alias 'Dillforest' in 2020, Ventre utilized an EncroChat phone to manage his drug deals. His criminal activities, which included supplying kilogram quantities of cocaine and substantial amounts of ketamine, were communicated through this encrypted device. The NCA reported that Ventre also shared personal details, including his birthday and family information, on the platform.
Investigators were able to link Ventre to the 'Dillforest' alias after law enforcement agencies successfully accessed EncroChat messages. The password Ventre chose for his device, 'barrow', his former club's name, proved to be a critical clue. He admitted to conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, as well as money laundering offenses at Liverpool Crown Court on December 10, 2025.
