'Payyabills' gangster who ran one of the UK's biggest-ever gun-running plots loses bid to appeal against his conviction

Omar Malik, the ringleader of a major gun-running gang in the UK, has lost his appeal against a conviction linked to a massive drugs and firearms operation. His Manchester-based gang reportedly sold around £70 million worth of drugs and supplied deadly weapons like Skorpion sub-machine guns and Grand Power pistols. After being sentenced to 38 years in December 2023, Malik tried to challenge his conviction in London’s Court of Appeal, claiming insufficient evidence linked him to the encrypted messaging app EncroChat and other legal missteps during his trial. The judges dismissed his appeal, stating the evidence was “compelling.” Alongside Malik, four gang members also sought appeals. While some had their requests refused, one, Sean Hogan, was granted extra time to appeal part of his sentence. The court deemed the gang’s activities as one of the highest levels of firearm trafficking encountered by UK law enforcement.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News