EncroChat Frosty Firm Jailed After Everton Arrest 2026

Key Points

• Joshua Smith, who was known as the EncroChat user “Frosty Firm,” has received nine years and nine months’ jail time.
• Smith was found to be one of the suppliers of cocaine, heroin, cannabis, MDMA, and ketamine in Merseyside.
• Investigators discovered his identity by analyzing EncroChat communications, personal connections, and a PlayStation username.
• He was arrested during a match between Everton, when the team suffered a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in March 2022.
• Law enforcement authorities confiscated about £81,000 in cash, drugs, and luxury items worth more than £100,000 from Smith’s house.
• According to the NCA, Smith was accountable for supplying drugs worth roughly £500,000.
• Liverpool Crown Court found out that Smith’s drug business operated on almost a daily basis and included drivers, money runners, and other associates.
• Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, and cannabis resin, as well as being engaged in supplying MDMA and ketamine and possessing criminal property.
• The prosecution confirmed that he kept selling drugs on a small scale in February 2026.
• It was stated in court that Smith accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse during the time in prison.

Everton Crime (Liverpool standard) September 19, 2026 — EncroChat Frosty Firm Joshua Smith was sentenced on September 18, 2026, after investigators linked him to an encrypted communications account used to plan the supply of large quantities of drugs across Merseyside. The Liverpool Echo reported that Smith, who was 29 when sentenced, admitted several serious offences and received a prison term of nine years and nine months at Liverpool Crown Court.

The case began with messages recovered from EncroChat, an encrypted communications platform used by organised crime figures. French police infiltrated the network in 2020, allowing investigators to examine thousands of messages exchanged by suspected criminals.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Smith used the handle “Frosty Firm”. Court documents showed that details associated with the account had been saved by other EncroChat users under names including Josh, Josh S, Josh Smith and Smithy. Those references helped investigators identify the person operating the account.

Smith’s online identity was also connected to a PlayStation account. A picture sent through EncroChat showed a PlayStation username, “Josh Smith 1878”. The number referred to 1878, the year Everton Football Club was founded. The account was linked to Smith’s address and date of birth.

The evidence also indicated that the account holder was an Everton supporter. Smith was eventually arrested during Everton’s 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2022.

What drugs was Smith accused of supplying?

The court heard that Smith was involved in discussions concerning substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin and cannabis. The reported figures included up to 13 kilograms of cocaine, six kilograms of heroin and 24.5 kilograms of cannabis.

The Liverpool Echo reported that Smith had stored the handles of 54 contacts on his Encro phone and had communicated with 27 of them between March and June 2020. Prosecutors said those contacts demonstrated that Smith had become trusted by other high-level criminals.

Paul Becker, prosecuting, said Smith played a leading role in conspiracies involving the regular supply of cocaine, heroin and cannabis. The prosecution also alleged that he handled cash connected to the operation and worked with other EncroChat users known as “Ripe Car”, “Reliable Castle” and “Gassy Zebra”.

The prosecution said Smith helped manage the distribution of drugs, shared profits and took part in decisions about prices and sales. Mr Becker told the court that Smith appeared to approach drug dealing as a commercial enterprise.

The court heard that the operation was conducted almost daily and covered areas of Merseyside. Prosecutors said Smith was involved in supplying drugs directly, collecting money and dealing with unpaid debts.

Smith was also said to have links with people outside the United Kingdom who were involved in the importation of class A and class B drugs. The prosecution did not claim that he personally imported the drugs, but said his EncroChat conversations showed close links to the original source and an interest in cocaine outside the UK.

What evidence was recovered from his home?

Merseyside Police attended Smith’s home on February 24, 2026, and seized 111 exhibits, according to the Liverpool Echo’s report of the sentencing hearing.

The items included several mobile phones, around £81,000 in cash and a large collection of designer goods. The money was found in a cupboard in the hallway of the property.

The designer items were valued at more than £100,000 and included Rolex watches, Christian Dior and Chanel clothing, and footwear from Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana and Givenchy.

Officers also recovered 22.3 grams of cocaine with a reported purity of 85 per cent. The estimated value of that cocaine was between £900 and £1,500. Police additionally recovered MDMA, ketamine and 2CB, with a combined estimated value of up to £830.

Messages found on an iPhone provided further evidence of ongoing criminal activity. Those messages showed Smith arranging drug deliveries to pubs. Notes on the phone included “tick lists” recording amounts owed by customers.

The prosecution argued that this material showed Smith was still involved in drug dealing, although on a smaller scale, when officers attended his home in February 2026.

Images recovered from EncroChat also formed part of the evidence. One photograph showed a block of cocaine marked with a Toyota logo. Another image showed a quantity of cash that Smith had shared through the encrypted platform.

What did the prosecution say about the operation?

Paul Becker told Liverpool Crown Court that Smith worked closely with several other criminal contacts to distribute drugs and manage money.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the prosecutor said Smith had access to vehicles with concealed compartments and used other people to assist with driving, delivery and collections. The prosecution argued that these arrangements demonstrated Smith’s position within the criminal hierarchy.

Mr Becker said Smith did not merely act as a low-level participant. Instead, the prosecution described him as someone who made decisions, managed distribution and worked alongside other operators.

The court also heard that Smith had mentioned his own name and his brother’s name during conversations with criminal associates. He referred to a company of which his mother was a director and arranged a meeting at a caravan park near his family home in Halewood.

These details assisted investigators in connecting the EncroChat account to Smith’s personal life and identifying the person behind the “Frosty Firm” handle.

The National Crime Agency estimated that Smith was responsible for supplying drugs worth approximately £500,000 in total.

What did the defence say about Smith?

Katy Appleton, defending, said Smith was 23 when he committed the original offences. She noted that the offences were more than six years old, although the court also heard that Smith had continued to involve himself in drug supply in February 2026.

The defence said Smith accepted responsibility and was remorseful. Ms Appleton told the court that he had written about the effect of his offending on his family and partner.

She also said Smith had used his time in custody constructively. According to the defence, he had completed numerous courses, acted as a mentor and achieved high-level trust prisoner status.

The defence presented Smith as someone who had faced significant family responsibilities from a young age. The court heard that his father died when Smith was 10 and that he had helped manage his mother’s dry-cleaning business.

Ms Appleton described Smith as lightly convicted and said he had never previously served a custodial sentence. She also argued that he had genuine remorse, a stable family life and prospects of employment.

Smith had previously been convicted of possessing criminal property in 2021. He received a suspended prison sentence after reportedly being found with £5,000 in cash when he was stopped in a car the previous year.

What did the judge say at sentencing?

Recorder Sarah Holt sentenced Smith to nine years and nine months in prison. Smith appeared before the court by video link from HMP Liverpool.

The judge said Smith must have been operating for a considerable period to have gained the trust of other high-level criminals. She said he had ready access to large sums of cash and used the money to purchase kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Recorder Holt said Smith had worked with other operators rather than simply working for them. She said there was no evidence that he answered to another criminal handle and that other people appeared to work for him by driving, collecting or delivering drugs and money.

The judge said the EncroChat material showed Smith’s almost daily involvement in discussing the purchase and sale of drugs. She also said he expected to make substantial financial gains.

Recorder Holt referred to the cash and high-value goods found at Smith’s home. She said the profits and luxury purchases had come at a devastating cost to other people.

The judge described the supply of drugs as a destructive trade that caused misery and contributed to addiction-related harm in communities. She said Smith’s involvement had helped perpetuate that harm.

Although Smith was young when he became involved in the conspiracies, Recorder Holt said the evidence did not show that his conduct was isolated or caused simply by immaturity. She said the evidence suggested he had acted with considerable maturity and responsibility while still choosing to participate in drug dealing.

The judge accepted that Smith had strong personal mitigation and that his remorse was genuine. However, she questioned why he had used his abilities and positive qualities to become involved in drug dealing.

Recorder Holt concluded that Smith had let many people down.

What did the National Crime Agency say?

Jon Hughes, one of the heads of the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, said the investigation began with thousands of anonymised EncroChat messages.

The partnership is operated by the National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police. According to Mr Hughes, officers examined the messages in detail and identified what he described as a commercial-scale drug enterprise being run by Smith.

Mr Hughes said officers found a “treasure trove of evidence” when they arrested Smith at his home. This included drugs, criminal cash, luxury clothing, accessories and a phone used to conduct the operation.

He said Smith had been supplying drugs linked to harm and violence while living a luxury lifestyle funded by criminal profits. Mr Hughes added that Smith was now behind bars as a result of work by the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership.

The comments followed Smith’s guilty pleas and sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court.

What is the background to the EncroChat investigation?

EncroChat was an encrypted communications platform used by criminal suspects across Europe. Its infrastructure was infiltrated by French authorities in 2020, enabling law enforcement agencies to access messages exchanged through the system.

The resulting evidence has been used in investigations into alleged organised crime, drug supply, money laundering and other offences. In Smith’s case, investigators used the messages alongside personal details, photographs, usernames, addresses and other information to identify the account holder.

The prosecution case relied on the combination of digital evidence and physical evidence recovered from Smith’s home. The EncroChat messages indicated the scale and structure of the alleged drug operation, while the later search produced cash, drugs, luxury goods and phones.

Smith’s arrest at an Everton match was another important part of the identification evidence. Investigators linked the user’s interest in Everton to the PlayStation username “Josh Smith 1878”, helping connect the encrypted account to Smith.

The case also demonstrated that investigators continued to examine EncroChat evidence years after the messages were originally captured. Smith’s sentence related to conduct discussed through the platform, as well as later offences and evidence suggesting continuing involvement in drug supply.

How could the development affect Merseyside communities?

The imprisonment of Joshua Smith removes an individual whom prosecutors described as a significant organiser in a Merseyside drug-supply network. For local communities, the case highlights how encrypted communications, financial records, luxury purchases and digital identities can be combined to investigate organised crime.

The case may also reinforce law-enforcement efforts to pursue not only street-level dealers but people accused of arranging supply, managing money and coordinating deliveries. The court heard that Smith’s operation involved several contacts, drivers and other individuals, meaning the investigation could provide information relevant to wider organised-crime activity.

However, the sentencing does not by itself establish that all alleged associates have been prosecuted or that drug-related harm in Merseyside has ended. Its immediate effect is the imprisonment of Smith and the confiscation or recovery of assets connected to the investigation.

For residents, the case is likely to be viewed alongside broader concerns about drug-related violence, addiction and the use of local premises for deliveries. The judge’s remarks focused on the wider consequences of drug supply, while the National Crime Agency emphasised the role of joint operations between national and regional law-enforcement bodies.