A drugs gang has been brought down, with two of its members jailed – and it was all thanks to a ham sandwich.
The two men were caught by police after sharing photos of their lunch, plus a can of Stella Artois, on what was at the time an encrypted, secure instant messaging service.
But the secret mobile phone network EncroChat, used exclusively by criminals, collapsed in 2020 when an international law enforcement team cracked the company’s encryption.
Once able to access messages, Lancashire Police were able to prove that Richard Wylie and Richard Whiteside were the owners of Encrochat handles Somesnail and Peppershirt.
They were trapped after sharing pictures of a ham sandwich and a can of lager, with the backgrounds being matched to Whiteside’s address in Blackpool.
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The investigation by the Serious and Organised Crime Team has now led to the pair’s arrest.
Richard Wylie was part of the gang brought down by a ham sandwich photo. Credit: Lancashire PoliceRichard Whiteside. Credit: Lancashire PoliceThe incriminating can of Stella, along with the ham sandwich photo, that led to the gang’s collapse. Credit: Lancashire Police
Richard Wylie (9/9/86), formerly of The Stables, Thornton Cleveleys was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A cocaine, Conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A cocaine, Conspiracy to transfer and conceal criminal property and being concerned in supplying a controlled drug of Class A to others.
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Richard Whiteside (2/2/68), formerly of Mickledon Road, Blackpool was jailed for four years after admitting Conspiracy to transfer and conceal criminal property and possessing criminal property.
Officers at Lancashire Police still want to speak to two other men – Daniel Hindley (5/6/83) and Jamie Finney (8/5/86) – as part of the same investigation, who are both believed to be abroad.
Detective Chief Insp James Edmonds said: “Like many other users of EncroChat, the criminals operating in Lancashire will have mistakenly thought that they could traffic drugs with impunity, under the radar of the police – our successes as part of Op Venetic show how wrong they are.
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Daniel Hindley. Credit: Lancashire PoliceJamie Finney. Credit: Lancashire PoliceTwo men the police would still like to speak to.
“We continue to work both with the NCA and other forces across the region and the UK to take the fight to criminals and ensure there are no safe spaces in Lancashire for serious and organised criminals, including those who seek to profit from a class A drugs trade which fuels violence and exploitation in our communities.
“This sort of activity is just one aspect of our continued fight to tackle serious and organised crime. I hope this sends a clear message to the public of our determination to rid communities of this sort of criminalisation and to make our streets safer.”
Featured image: Lancashire Police
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Netflix drops the first trailer for upcoming Peaky Blinders film
Danny Jones
It looks like Christmas has come early for TV drama fans and cinephiles, because Netflix has officially dropped the first trailer for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
Popcorn at the ready – even the teaser alone has got us fired up.
ln just 70 seconds, they’ve managed to pull us right back in, and we cannot wait to see Cillian Murphy back in full-on Tommy Shelby mode.
Not exaggerating when we say we have LITERAL chills.
As you can see, they certainly haven’t scrimped on the budget with the first-ever feature-length Peaky Blinders film, neither in terms of production value nor the cast.
Then again, having already hosted the likes of Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy and others in the series itself, as well as going on to become one of the most successful BBC shows of all time, they were never going to.
We’re sure you spotted plenty of them for yourselves, but the debut trailer for The Immortal Man gives us not only our first glimpses of now Oscar-winning Murphy, 49, back in the saddle (both figuratively and literally) but also fellow blockbuster Irish actor, Barry Keoghan.
Other big names set to appear in the movie – set for a limited release in theatres before launching exclusively on Netflix – include Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth. It still remains unclear, however, as to how any of these characters will knit into the new season.
It’s also worth noting that the trailer shares a little snippet of the historical context, this continuation of the Shelby story is playing into, as we see what looks to be Nazi figures meeting on screen.
Creator Steven Knight has already confirmed that the plot will fast-forward some years to meet back up with Tommy at the outset of WWII and his ancestral home of Birmingham during the Blitz.
Having already confirmed 6 March as the theatrical release date ahead of it going live on Netflix a fortnight later, the anticipation was seriously starting to ramp; this latest look has only added to the tinderbox of excitement.
What do you make of the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man trailer, and will you be watching it?
Appeal to find two individuals after man is left with ‘serious head and face injuries’ in Altrincham attack
Danny Jones
Trafford Police are trying to find two men following an attack outside a takeaway in Altrincham earlier this year.
The incident, which took place outside Canada Grill on Railway Street a couple of months ago, has left one individual with serious.
Reported to have occurred at around 2am on Sunday, 19 October, the identity of the pair who have since been revealed on CCTV footage is still unknown.
You can see both male suspects pictured below.
#APPEAL | Can you help us identify these men as we believe they can help with our investigation of an assault at Canada Grill, #Altrincham on 19/10/25 at 2am?
The victim has serious injuries to their head and face
Since shared by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at large on social media, officers investigating the case are appealing for anyone who recognises them to come forward.
While the exact extent of the damage done and the condition of the other person involved in the altercation has not been fully disclosed, they are believed to have been left with significant “head and facial injuries”.
Daisy Jackson -
13th July 2023 
