Faaris Zaman, a 27-year-old drug dealer from Bradford, has been sentenced to 11 years and seven months in prison after evading authorities for over three years.
Zaman was first arrested in July 2020 by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers but fled the country shortly after. He was involved in cocaine and heroin distribution, using the encrypted platform EncroChat under the alias “oraclewarrior”. During his criminal activities, he managed £1.3 million in illicit profits.
The NCA tracked Zaman’s messages, which revealed his extensive involvement with organized crime groups, facilitating large-scale drug deals. His home was raided, where investigators found £89k in cash, a vacuum packing machine, and detailed records of his drug operations dating back to 2018.
Zaman then absconded, but in October 2023, he was found hiding in his parents’ attic in the UK. Despite his previous claims of a minor role in the drug network, NCA officials described him as a significant figure in organized crime.
Zaman’s arrest was part of Operation Venetic, which cracked the EncroChat network. This operation led to hundreds of arrests as law enforcement uncovered encrypted messages linking criminals to serious offenses. With the app’s servers now shut down, Zaman’s capture marks another victory in the fight against organized crime.
NCA operations manager Nigel Coles commented, saying, “Zaman thought he could evade law enforcement, but Operation Venetic brought him to justice.”
