Drug kingpins face jail for cocaine smuggling and murder plot after EncroChat investigation

James Harding and Jayes Kharouti discussed plan to recruit hitman to kill rival on encrypted messaging service

A pair of drug kingpins are facing jail for plotting to murder a rival and smuggling millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK after one of the largest EncroChat investigations.

James Harding, 34, and his “loyal right-hand man” Jayes Kharouti, 39, ran a vast criminal empire which made £5m in profits from importing drugs over 10 weeks in 2020 alone.