International cocaine dealer jailed
- LM News
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
An international drug trafficker responsible for importing 1,000kg of cocaine to the UK and handling more than £7 million in criminal cash has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Thanks to the work of specialist officers, Stephane Hassiakos was identified as playing a leading role in the importation and widespread distribution of cocaine in the country, particularly across the East Midlands.
After analysing a wealth of evidence from an encrypted chat platform including images of large quantities of cocaine and cash, detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) Serious Organised Crime team were able to show Hassiakos was using the platform to communicate with other criminals in order to run his largescale drugs operation.
When released from prison, Hassiakos will also be subject to a five-year travel restriction order – which prohibits him leaving the country.
In 2024, officers launched an investigation into Hassiakos’s offending after identifying him as the man behind one of the usernames operating on EncroChat.
The platform – used largely by organised crime groups – was infiltrated and dismantled as part of a huge international law enforcement operation in 2020.
Since then, UK police forces have been examining previously hidden criminal communications to identify offenders and bring them to justice.
The username being used by Hassiakos was originally identified during a separate investigation into largescale cocaine supply in which a total of 47 defendants were prosecuted between 2020 and 2024.
During this time, police established that a significant proportion of class A drugs being supplied to those criminals was being sourced from the same offshore EncroChat user.
For many years his identity remained unknown but thanks to extensive intelligence gathering and years of investigation, Hassiakos’ was arrested in Spain in July 2025.
He was extradited to the UK in January this year and arrested by officers when he arrived at Heathrow Airport.
The investigation showed Hassiakos had been operating his drug empire from Greece, directing associates in the UK and coordinating the importation of large quantities of cocaine.
Evidence showed he was responsible for the trafficking of 1,000kg of cocaine and the movement of £7.3 million in criminal cash over an eight-month period between October 2019 and June 2020.
Of note, through messages sent on EncroChat, officers were able to directly link him to a shipment of 9kg of cocaine seized in Leicestershire in May 2020.
Also, during conversations on the EncroChat platform Hassiakos, in April 2020, boasted to another user that he was tired from working seven days a week during a covid lockdown.
He also claimed to have 12 cars and two trucks working for him and had developed a good system with cocaine suppliers in the Netherlands.
From this, officers were able to evidence Hassiakos had orchestrated the importation of cocaine from South America and then through the Netherlands and into the UK using HGVs.
From this, officers were able to evidence Hassiakos had orchestrated the importation of cocaine from South America and then through the Netherlands and into the UK using HGVs.
Detective Sergeant Chris Sewell, from EMSOU’s Serious Organised Crime Team, said: “Identifying Hassiakos, extraditing and prosecuting him is hugely significant. He was involved in importing vast quantities of cocaine to the UK and was operating at the highest level of organised crime.
“It was clear from the evidence gathered during a separate investigation that a significant proportion of the class A drugs being supplied to those criminals was being sourced from someone outside of the country – but at that point we didn’t know who this person was.
“Images and conversations recovered from his EncroChat data was able to show the true extent of the operation and over an eight-month period we were able to evidence the importation of 1,000kg of cocaine and the movement of millions of pounds.”
He added: “Hassiakos was only extradited back to the UK in January of this year and when presented with the overwhelming amount of evidence we had collated he pleaded guilty to the offences. I am pleased that the huge amount of work that has gone into this investigation has ended with him now spending many years behind bars.”
Following the sentencing police will now begin proceedings to recuperate the money made by Hassiakos during his offending.
Leicestershire Police News - Published : 17:00 10/07/2026
