Former pro footballer jailed for importing drugs and guns with brother
On a chat platform, he said the last firearm he'd imported was sold 'straight to kids in London'.
A former professional football player who ran a gun and drug importation operation with his brother has been jailed for 30 years.
Wayne McKenzie, 48, and his brother Craig imported cocaine and cannabis from the US, Spain and the Netherlands from March to June 2020.
He was also involved in importing firearms during the same period.
McKenzie, from Liverpool, imported the drugs then organised for others to transport them through the UK to customers, where they had a street value of £2 million.
Most of the drugs were sent to criminals in Liverpool and Manchester but some also ended up in Wales and London.
McKenzie’s crimes were uncovered when the National Crime Agency received data from the EncroChat encrypted communications platform
The EncroChat platform was taken down in 2020 and Operation Venetic, the UK law enforcement response led by the NCA, was launched.
McKenzie was using two handles on the platform, LittleOrchid and RadiantAcid, and had extensive conversations around importing drugs and firearms for profit.
In one, discussing smuggling a gun to the UK hidden in chemical waste, McKenzie says the last firearm he imported was sold ‘straight to kids in London’.
In another, McKenzie says he is in contact with a trawler who can help in importing cannabis to the UK.
Officers also discovered McKenzie had contact with notorious criminals based in Spain in order to launder the profit from their crimes.
He was arrested by the NCA in February 2022 and officers found a burner phone, designer trainers and documentation relating to a business used for money laundering.
He was charged and recalled to prison as he was already on licence for offences of conspiracy to supply drugs.
McKenzie, who played semi-professional football in England before playing pro in Scandinavia, was convicted on Monday after a two week trial.
He received a 30-year jail term at Manchester Crown Court today.
His brother Craig McKenzie is already serving a 20-year sentence for his part in similar offences.
After sentencing, Dean Wallbank from the NCA said: ‘Wayne McKenzie was prolific in trafficking both drugs and firearms, selling them onto gangs and laundering the profits through notorious criminals without concern.
‘Our investigation has dismantled this family crime group, which brought harm to the streets of the UK. Those streets are safer with him behind bars.’
‘The NCA will continue to target those involved in the most serious forms of offending, protecting the public from organised criminals.’
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