A pair of dozy drug dealers were snared by police after sharing photos of a ham sandwich and a can of lager on an underworld chat network. Richard Wylie, 36, and Richard Whiteside, 55, were nabbed when officers examined photos of the meagre lunch that had passed between the pair over EncroChat.
The servers for the secure instant messaging service - used exclusively by criminals - were taken down three years ago after an international team cracked its encryption. But British investigators continued to examine those speaking on it as part of 'operation Venetic', which involved officers from across the country.
Lancashire Police said its serious and organised crime team had found that Wylie and Whiteside used the Encrochat handles ‘Somesnail’ and ‘Peppershirt’. It is believed the officers were able to link the image with the pair after later raiding Whiteside’s address in Blackpool, where they also found wads of cash.
