Drug Dealer Caught After Police Use Face ID to Access Phone

Police officers outsmarted a Swansea drug dealer by using facial recognition to access crucial evidence on his mobile phone, after he refused to provide his PIN code.

Grant Lester, 37, from Clydach, was found with high-purity cocaine and diazepam tablets when officers searched his property in Station Road, Glais. Messages discovered on his phone revealed extensive drug dealing activities, including customer requests and complaints about drug paraphernalia being left visible to children.

Defending at Swansea Crown Court, John Allchurch said Lester had turned to dealing to fund his own drug habit, which began as a way of coping with “significant mental health issues”. The defendant expressed concerns about being separated from his nine-year-old daughter.

Judge Paul Thomas KC sentenced Lester to three years and two months in prison, stating he was “rather sceptical” about the defendant’s concerns, as he would have known the consequences of his actions.