A Midlands-based crime boss with links to the feared Kinahan cartel orchestrated an elaborate 'treasure map' plot to deceive police, offering up a cache of buried submachine guns in a desperate attempt to slash his prison sentence.
The Audacious Plot Unfolds
Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, who once resided in a bulletproof mansion in Mile Oak near Tamworth, was arrested in 2019 by the National Crime Agency (NCA) for running the Irish Kinahan gang's European operations. Facing a daunting 21-year sentence for drug offences, Kavanagh attempted to gain leniency by presenting investigators with a hand-drawn map.
This map, complete with an 'X' marking the spot, supposedly led to a hidden stash of weapons near the Northern Ireland border. Working with his brother-in-law Liam Byrne, his son Jack Kavanagh, and Liverpool-based gangster Shaun Kent, Kavanagh directed his network to source, dig up, and rebury firearms in sports holdalls to make his cooperation appear genuine.
The EncroChat Takedown
Unbeknownst to the gangsters, the NCA had already infiltrated EncroChat, the encrypted communication network favoured by organised crime groups. Officers uncovered messages that completely exposed the carefully constructed ruse.
In April 2021, Kavanagh's lawyers formally handed over the map. Acting on the information, officers recovered 11 guns, including Skorpions, Heckler and Kochs, and an Uzi. A senior investigator, known as 'Andrew', noted it was the first time in his career he had recovered so many weapons, expressing shock that such a major cache was stored in simple sports bags.
However, the EncroChat messages told the true story. Shaun Kent warned Liam Byrne that Kavanagh was 'under massive pressure and time's against him'. The gangsters used coded language, referring to firearms as 'tools or straps' and ammunition as 'sweets or food'. Kavanagh himself was referred to as 'Big Head', while Byrne was 'Footballer' and Kent 'Scouser'.
Justice Served
The police operation, codenamed Briered, pieced together the conspiracy, revealing that over an 18-month period, Kavanagh's network had sourced weapons from across the UK. The plot was described in messages as a 'plot for your dad', though associates also called it 'madness approaching the NCA'.
All involved were subsequently convicted. Liam Byrne received a five-year sentence, Peter Keating was sentenced to four years and eight months, Jack Kavanagh to three years, and Shaun Kent to six years. Thomas Kavanagh had a further six years added to his existing 21-year drug term. The entire case is now featured in a new NCA podcast, Underworld: Behind the Scenes of the NCA, offering unprecedented insight into the operation that brought down the crime boss.
