The latest episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Secret Network explores Bedfordshire Police’s operation into busting a network of drug-dealing and weapon-supplying criminals, all of whom used an apparently ‘secure’ phone network known as EncroChat. Each phone kitted out with EncroChat was worth £3,000 and saw those involved in moving drugs operate under various nicknames – one, Ethan Mitchell, was known as ‘frontrunner’.
Filmed in 2020, the Channel 4 show details how Operation Costello has to date achieved a total of 279 arrests, 544 years in sentencing, 49 weapons seized and 10 firearms recovered. As part of the operation, 288kg of cannabis, 7,551 cannabis plants, 26kg of cocaine and 2.6kg of heroin were also seized.
Detective Chief Superintendent Duncan Young, part of Bedfordshire Police’s Intelligence Command, said: “Our long‑standing partnership of over a decade with 24 Hours in Police Custody gives the public a transparent view of the realities of modern policing. It shows the skill, determination and compassion our officers bring to every single case, and I’m proud of the professionalism on display throughout this episode.
“The harm caused by drugs is the common thread running through so much of the criminality we deal with. Drugs fuel violence, exploitation and fear in our communities, and remains one of our highest priorities. By exposing how these organised networks operate — and demonstrating the tireless work that goes into dismantling them — we hope the public will have a stronger understanding of both the scale of the threat and of our commitment to tackling it.”
After being charged with conspiracy to supply a firearm, as part of a shooting at a family home, the end of the episode details how Mitchell was eventually found not guilty – but he was found guilty in relation to other criminal charges.
This is what we know about Luton drug dealer, Ethan Mitchell, and where he is six years after 24 Hours in Police Custody was filmed…
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Who is Ethan Mitchell?
Ethan Mitchell is a convicted drug dealer from Luton who featured in a January 2026 episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody, after being accused of supplying the firearm used in a shooting at a family home. While being held in custody, officers searched Mitchell’s house and found a van parked nearby, registered under a family member’s name, containing 1.5 kg of drugs. He was subsequently charged with intent to supply under the Misuse of Drugs Act, along with being linked to a shooting after responding to another EncroChat user who asked for a gun by saying “[I] gave mine to a mate the other day, mine’s a shotty”.
As part of Bedfordshire Police’s investigation into EncroChat, known as Operation Costello, Mitchell was identified as a prevalent user called ‘frontrunner’, which is what led officers to detain him, search his property and recover the vast amount of narcotics.
At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Mitchell’s “defence argued the messages he sent about the shotgun attack were not intended to be taken seriously. He was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply a firearm”. However, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA and cannabis which resulted in a nine-year sentence.
Where is Ethan Mitchell now?
Back in February 2021, a year after 24 Hours in Police Custody was filmed, it was reported that Ethan Mitchell received a prison sentence of more than five years after being convicted of possession with intent to supply MDMA, cocaine and possession of criminal property. It’s said he tried to flee the property when police arrived, but they caught him.
A little over two years later, according to a Facebook post shared by Bedfordshire Police, that sentence was extended by a further four years.
The post said, “Ethan Mitchell, 28 of no fixed address, went by the alias ‘frontrunner’ on the EncroChat platform, with police decoding messages showing his involvement in the sale and distribution of multiple kilogrammes of drugs worth tens of thousands of pounds.
“Last week at Huntingdon Crown Court, he was handed a further sentence of four years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracies to supply cocaine, heroin, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA.”
The post added that Investigating Officer, Gary Hales, part of Operation Costello, said, “Mitchell was a high-level drug dealer who knew the inner workings of the drug game – but also dabbled in the more violent elements of organised crime. People forget that drugs are intrinsically linked to violence and exploitation. Taking drug dealers like Mitchell off the streets ensures our communities’ safety.
“This case also serves as a reminder that even when criminals are behind bars, our work isn’t finished. We will continue to pursue them until the job is done.”
24 Hours in Police Custody: The Secret Network is available to watch on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight. The episode can also be streamed on Channel 4 On Demand.
