Drug dealer caught after using pigeon-fancying terms in Encrochat
- Published
Stephen Gildea, 37, was caught after sharing pictures of his pigeon loft in encrypted messages
A pigeon-fancying drug dealer who was caught after he shared information about his loft in encrypted messages has been jailed.
Merseyside Police said Stephen Gildea, of Aintree, admitted being involved in cocaine and heroin trafficking in 2020.
The 37-year-old was arrested in April 2022 after his pigeon racing references on the encrypted communication service EncroChat led officers to him.
He was jailed for 11 years three months at Liverpool Crown Court.
The force said Gildea operated under the names "frosty-hill" and "wuhan-who" on the service, which was a secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns.
The force said Gildea shared information about pigeon racing and his loft while sending pictures of drugs on Encrochat
It said he "referenced his love of pigeon racing in messages and images... which allowed officers to identify his home address and his pigeon loft".
Gildea admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and was jailed on Tuesday.
Speaking after sentencing, Det Insp Peter McCullough said Gildea, "like many offenders before him, thought he was hiding behind a secure communications system".
"Instead, he collected damning evidence of his own large-scale drug supply and will face a long spell in prison," he said.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, external, Twitter, external and Instagram, external? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk