Drug Dealer 'Made £500,000 Every Two Months' From Prison Before Shocking Death in Cell

A drug dealer who was reportedly making £500,000 ($675,000) every two months by supplying drugs inside prison was found dead in his cell, raising fresh questions about how his criminal operation continued behind bars.

Johnpaul Digweed, an EncroChat-linked drug dealer, was serving a 25-year prison sentence when he died, according to reports. An intelligence report said Digweed was generating roughly £250,000 ($337,600) a month by supplying drugs to fellow inmates, equivalent to about £500,000 ($675,000) every two months.

Concerns had been raised about Digweed's activities in prison and the circumstances surrounding his death. The case has since prompted scrutiny of missed opportunities by authorities to prevent the situation from escalating.

A Drug Empire Behind Bars

Digweed's alleged operation was not limited to passing drugs between prisoners. Intelligence gathered by authorities indicated that he continued to operate as a significant drug supplier while serving his sentence.

Reports said Digweed was linked to the use of drones to deliver drugs and other illicit items into prison. That method highlights the unusual challenges faced by authorities trying to stop organised criminal activity from continuing inside secure facilities.

The Liverpool Echo reported that Digweed had been identified as an EncroChat dealer before his imprisonment. EncroChat was an encrypted communications network widely used by organised crime figures before law enforcement infiltrated the platform.

The intelligence surrounding Digweed's prison activity suggested that incarceration had not ended his involvement in the drug trade. Instead, investigators believed he had found a way to maintain a lucrative operation from inside.

Questions After His Death

Digweed was eventually found dead in his prison cell. Reports said he had taken his own life.

The circumstances have drawn attention because of the intelligence authorities had received about his activities before his death. A report examining his case reportedly identified missed opportunities and concerns surrounding the way information about him was handled.

According to reports, Digweed may have been worried about money around the time of his death. However, the precise circumstances and motivations surrounding his final days remain part of the wider scrutiny of the case.

His death also illustrates how criminal networks can survive even when key figures are physically separated from the outside world. Phones, coded communications and illicit deliveries can allow prisoners to remain connected to criminal associates and customers.

A Wider Prison Problem

The case raises broader questions about the flow of drugs into British prisons and the ability of criminal networks to operate from behind bars.

The reported sums involved are particularly striking. Earning around £250,000 ($337,600) a month while imprisoned would put Digweed's alleged operation on a scale comparable with major criminal enterprises outside prison.

Yet the case is ultimately about more than money. It shows how imprisonment does not necessarily sever a criminal's links to the outside world, particularly when organised networks and technology remain involved.

Authorities will now face questions over what could have been done differently and whether warning signs surrounding Digweed were acted upon quickly enough.

For a man already serving a lengthy sentence, prison was supposed to end his freedom and his criminal activities. Instead, intelligence reports suggest he continued running a lucrative drug operation from behind bars until his death.