Ian Sweeney, a tracker and “bug-sweeper” for organised crime, pled guilty in October 2024 to a section 28 offence under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. This followed a 2023 conviction for a separate offence. Using the EncroChat platform, Sweeney sourced and supplied drugs, conducted sensitive information checks, and offered services to help criminals evade law enforcement.

The trial judge initially imposed a three-year sentence, treating the offences as part of a single overall sentencing exercise. However, the Crown successfully argued that the offences, committed over three years apart, were distinct, with the latter being more sophisticated and commercially driven. The appeal court quashed the original sentence and imposed a consecutive sentence of five years and six months, reduced for Sweeney’s guilty plea.