Overview

• Liverpool Crown Court sentenced Philip Waugh to 26 years and 8 months with a five-year extended licence, and Robert Brazendale to 11 years and 4 months with a four-year extended licence.
• Prosecutors said Waugh used EncroChat to market military‑grade weapons, with Operation Venetic analysis identifying him as the supplier.
• Thai partners alerted investigators when Waugh travelled to Spain, leading to his arrest by Spanish National Police in Malaga and extradition to the UK; Brazendale was arrested in the UK on 30 January 2025.
• At least two firearms from the network were later used in three separate UK shootings, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
• Case evidence included a foiled plot to inflict grievous bodily harm using acid, which police intercepted before it could be carried out.