Salford gangster Jamie Rothwell has been sentenced to 43 years after ordering underworld hits, arranging huge drug deals and the sale of guns from his Spanish bolthole.

Rothwell was exposed after European law enforcement hacked into the EncroChat encrypted communications network, a system used by organised crime across the continent.

The 38-year-old became one of the National Crime Agency’s most wanted after messages revealed he had organised a shooting in Warrington in furtherance of a gangland feud, while he lived in a plush apartment in Barcelona.

But the net eventually closed in on Rothwell and he was brought back to the UK to face justice. He was sentenced today at Manchester Crown Court , appearing by video link from HMP Wakefield.

Rothwell had been brought to court yesterday (

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