Kane Worthington, alias “loftyrocket,” sentenced for drug dealing in Manchester during COVID-19, exploiting public crisis.
Worthington is 34 years old and received a five-year, three-month prison sentence. He helped supply Class A and B drugs across Greater Manchester, serving as a go-between linking suppliers and buyers.
His sentence includes jail time for two distinct charges: 63 months for Class A drugs and 36 months for Class B drugs, with these sentences running concurrently.
Police caught Worthington through Operation Venetic, a program targeting criminals using encrypted phones. The National Crime Agency runs this operation, which is the UK’s biggest effort against organized crime.
Messages on an encrypted phone exposed “loftyrocket,” Worthington’s alias. He arranged drug deals, discussed cannabis and cocaine pickups, and talked about prices and debts with others.
Worthington communicated with 25 different contacts between March and May 2020. He probably made £500,000 from drug sales, involving 4kg of cocaine and 16lbs of cannabis.
A detective noted Worthington’s disregard for safety by dealing drugs during the pandemic, while law-abiding people protected the NHS. Police will keep disrupting drug networks to bring criminals to justice.