Photos of Stella tinnies and a ham butty saw the end of this Lancashire crime gang
An organised crime gang in Lancashire using secretive EncroChat messages was brought down by a ham sandwich and a can of Stella.
The pair were arrested as part of Operation Venetic - an ongoing national fight against organised crime following the takedown of a bespoke encrypted global communication service used exclusively by criminals.EncroChat was one of the largest providers of encrypted communications and offered a secure mobile phone instant messaging service. However an international law enforcement team cracked the company’s encryption.
After an investigation by Lancashire's Serious and Organised Crime Team, officers were able to prove that Wylie and Whiteside were the owners of Encrochat handles Somesnail and Peppershirt. Pictures of a can of Stella Artois and a ham sandwich shared on the Encrochat phones helped trap the pair after they were matched to Whiteside’s address on Mickledon Road.
Richard Whiteside, 55, formerly of Mickledon Road, Blackpool was jailed for four years after admitting Conspiracy to transfer and conceal criminal property and possessing criminal property.
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