Drug dealer arrested after sending photo of cheese

LIVERPOOL, England (CNN) - A drug dealer from the United Kingdom was arrested after police analyzed his fingerprints from a photo he sent of himself holding a block of cheese.

Carl Stewart, 39, was sentenced last Friday to 13 years and six months in prison, according to police. He pleaded guilty to several drug charges related to cocaine, heroin and MDMA.

Authorities say Stewart’s “love of Stilton cheese” led to his arrest.

Police identified Stewart through fingerprint analysis of the photo, which showed him holding a... — Police identified Stewart through fingerprint analysis of the photo, which showed him holding a block of Stilton cheese in the palm of his hand.(Source: Merseyside Police via CNN)

Police intercepted a photo Stewart sent through an encrypted messaging service called EncroChat. He was identified through fingerprint analysis of the photo, which showed him holding a block of Stilton cheese in the palm of his hand.

The arrest was part of an international operation targeting criminals who used EncroChat, to which law enforcement officials in Europe gained access. UK officials say tens of thousands of criminals across the globe used it to coordinate their illegal actions.