A drug dealer from Liverpool, northwestern England, was recently arrested after sharing a photo of his hand holding a block of cheese.
Carl Stewart, 39, sent a picture of a block of mature blue Stilton he picked up in an upscale British retail chain, Marks & Spencer. He shared the photo on an encrypted messaging service known as EncroChat. Operating under the handle “ToffeeForce,” Stewart peddled illegal drugs/ substances; his account shut down last summer.
The police discovered the photograph during a large-scale mission called Operation Venetic. The police identified Stewart by analyzing his hand’s fingerprints.
Stewart was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, MDMA, ketamine, and transferring criminal property.
Cheese in the Trap
According to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), EncroChat served as a “criminal marketplace.” Its users totalled 60,000 people worldwide, with 10,000 of its users residing in the UK. As a mobile messaging service, people would distribute illicit goods, coordinate money laundering, and plot killings.
Last July, police infiltrated EncroChat as part of Operation Venetic. Operation Venetic was established in 2016 and billed by police as the UK’s largest law enforcement operation. According to the New York Post, the mission has led to 746 arrests, the seizure of $68 million in cash, and the discovery of more than 2 tons of drugs.
The mission and arrests are still ongoing. Detective Inspector Lee Wilkinson states:
“This year will see a number of these people continuing to appear before the courts, and we welcome each and every one.”
