Torbay man jailed after £1.3m cryptocurrency drugs operation uncovered

A man from Torquay has been jailed for 15 years after detectives uncovered a £1.3m cryptocurrency haul linked to drug dealing on the dark web.

Ryan Coleman, 36, of Sherwell Valley Road, admitted supplying cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and ketamine, and was sentenced today (12 September) at Exeter Crown Court.

Specialist officers from Devon & Cornwall Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team used advanced techniques to dismantle the operation, which Coleman ran from his home under the pseudonym “Snowcap”.

Investigators found he had made around 18,500 sales of Class A and B drugs worth more than £1m, totalling about 80kg, over a six-year period on dark web marketplaces.

During the inquiry, codenamed Operation Freebie, officers executed a warrant at Coleman’s address and seized his computer. Though he was not at home, he later agreed to hand himself in. Before attending the police station, he attempted to conceal £550,000 in cryptocurrency, deleted incriminating messages and searched online for how to clear phone data.

When arrested, his phone was seized and the deleted material was recovered. Police also discovered “recovery seeds” on his computer — sequences of words used to access crypto wallets — which led to multiple accounts linked to dark web drug sales.

The seized cryptocurrency, valued at £1.3m, will now be pursued through the Proceeds of Crime Act. Half the funds will go to HM Treasury and the remainder reinvested into the force to fund operations and community projects.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Smoothy, said: “This case highlights the evolving tactics of organised crime groups using cryptocurrency and the dark web to facilitate illicit drug trade.

“Through advanced blockchain analysis, collaboration with international partners and traditional investigative techniques, we were able to dismantle a sophisticated operation, seize significant assets, and bring Ryan Coleman to justice.

“This serves as a clear message: Devon & Cornwall Police is continually advancing our investigative methods to track, trace, and disrupt criminal networks and drug trafficking will not be tolerated.”