Luton drug and gun dealer gets prison stay extended by four years

A man from Luton who was involved in a high-level drug supply chain has had his prison stay extended by four years.

Drug dealer Ethan Mitchell was convicted in February 2021 of possession with intent to supply MDMA, cocaine and possession of criminal property – landing him a prison sentence of more than five years.

On the day of his arrest, he tried to flee but was caught by officers. A police search of his property found cocaine, ecstasy and around £40,000 of cash in a safe.

Messages on the encrypted communications platform Encrochat, showed Mitchell was involved in not only drugs supply, but discussions around the distribution of illegal firearms and ammunition.

Mitchell, 28, of no fixed address, went by the alias ‘frontrunner’ on the platform, with police decoding messages showing his involvement in the sale and distribution of multiple kilograms of drugs worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Last week at Huntingdon Crown Court, he was handed a further sentence of four years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracies to supply cocaine, cannabis, and MDMA.

Mitchell was found not guilty of conspiracies to supply heroin, ketamine, and selling a prohibited weapon relating to firearms.

Investigating officer Gary Hales, from Bedfordshire Police’s Operation Costello, said: “Mitchell was a high-level drug dealer who knew the inner workings of the drug game – but also dabbled in the more violent elements of organised crime.”

He added: “This case also serves as a reminder that even when criminals are behind bars, our work isn’t finished. We will continue to pursue them until the job is done.”