Rothwell jailed for 43 years

Rothwell arranged large drug deals and the sale of guns from a luxury flat in Barcelona, exposing cross border crime linked to a Salford feud.

Salford gangster Jamie Rothwell sentenced to 43 years

Jamie Rothwell, 38, has been sentenced to 43 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of drug and firearms offences. The sentence breaks down as 18 years for drugs and a consecutive 25 year extended sentence for firearms, with part of the term on licence. He appeared by video link from Wakefield Prison for the hearing in Manchester Crown Court and was brought to court under armed guard.

Rothwell played a central role in a long running Salford gang feud and was identified in EncroChat messages as ordering violence and coordinating large scale cocaine and ketamine operations. He lived in Spain and Portugal during much of the activity and was extradited back to the UK after European authorities cracked EncroChat. Nine other men from the same case are also being sentenced.

The case shows how modern technology can expose criminal networks that operate abroad. EncroChat, and later the crackdown by European law enforcement, turned a rooftop hideaway into a courtroom. The length of Rothwell's sentence signals a clear intent to deter serious organised crime, including violence and gun running.

Yet the story also highlights ongoing challenges. Cross border crime requires constant cooperation and rapid extradition, and communities continue to bear the consequences of gang feuds. The focus now shifts to rehabilitation and preventing young people from entering a life of crime as cases like this remind us that violence begets more violence.

Highlights

Cross border policing will keep shaping the fight against organised crime.