Cheshire drug dealer jailed for 15 years after police cracked encrypted phone messages

Cocaine dealer jailed for 15 years at Liverpool crown court.
Stephen Christian also known as "Tribal Quest" had a lavish lifestyle brought about by peddled huge amounts of cocaine to customers. Credit: Liverpool Echo - Alivia Smith

A Cheshire cocaine dealer has been jailed for 15 years at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Stephen Christian also known as "Tribal Quest" had a lavish lifestyle brought about by peddled huge amounts of cocaine to customers.The Widnes man used a special EncroChat phone and encrypted messaging sites to communicate with other criminals and negotiate prices of substantial amounts of cocaine. The 43-year-old's data was analysed by detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) last summer after it was cracked by international law enforcement.On July 1, last year, Christian was arrested and his two addresses, one on Roscommon Way in Widnes and another on Roseheath Drive, in Halewood, Merseyside, were searched.Police seized designer clothing, shoes and a Rolex watch, as well as almost £3,000 in cash and eight mobile phones.Detective Chief Inspector Mike Evans, from Cheshire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “Christian was a well-established organised criminal who supplied multi-kilograms of class A drugs which he profited from and led to him living a lavish lifestyle."