Drug dealer identified by photo of cheese he posted on encrypted messaging service

A drug dealer in the English city of Liverpool posted a photo of his hand holding a small block of creamy Stilton on an encrypted messaging service. That gave police the evidence they needed to arrest him, as European authorities had cracked the online platform. 

Carl Stewart, 39, was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court last week after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply heroin, MDMA and ketamine and transferring criminal property. Stewart was arrested after he posted the photo of himself holding the cheese block from British retailer Marks & Spencer on the encrypted messaging service EncroChat, via his handle "Toffeeforce." Unbeknownst to him, the service had been cracked by police in Europe. From the photo, police were able to analyze his palm and fingerprints.