London, April 16: In what could begin a new era for forensic science, the police in Britain have arrested a drug dealer based on fingerprints they found on a WhatsApp image sent by the criminal to his clients.
The photograph showed part of the dealer's hand "and there was potentially a fingerprint," the BBC reported late on Sunday.
The scientific support unit scanned the image into its system but could not find a match because the photograph contained just parts of the middle and bottom of a finger visible while records only keep the top part.
However, other evidence was enough for the police to guess who was behind the drugs operation.
"While the scale and quality of the photograph proved a challenge, the small bits were enough to prove he was the dealer," Dave Thomas from South Wales Police scientific support unit was quoted as saying.
Police arrested a man on a tip-off that said drugs were being sold in Wales. While checking his phone, they found an image of the drug dealer named Elliott Morris holding ecstasy tablets in his palm.
"There was the photograph of the hand holding pills that seemed like it was sent to potential customers saying 'these are my wares, I'm selling these'," Thomas said.
"It has now opened the floodgates and when there is part of a hand on a photograph, officers are sending them in," he added.
According to the police officer, the dealers are using the technology not to get caught and the police need to keep up with advancements.
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Three new cubs born to Cheetah Gamini in MP's Kuno Park; India's count rises to 38
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of these big cats in India to 38, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.
Describing it as a "roaring" success of the government's ambitious Cheetah re-introduction programme, Yadav said it is a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic conservation effort.
Gamini was translocated to India from South Africa as part of the ambitious project launched in September 2022 to revive the population of the world's fastest land animal in India, which had gone extinct decades ago.
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Yadav, in a post on X, said, “Kuno welcomes three new cubs - A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of completion of 3 years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Celebrations echo through Kuno National Park as Gamini, the South African cheetah and second-time mother, has brought 3 new cubs into the world."
This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27, he said.
With these newest additions, India's total cheetah population has now reached 38 - a powerful symbol of the country's determined and historic conservation effort, Yadav highlighted.
Each birth strengthens the foundation of Project Cheetah and reflects the passion, perseverance, and round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams who have nurtured this dream into reality, he said.
"A moment of pride for Kuno, and for India—may Gamini and her three little sprinters grow strong and carry the nation’s cheetah revival story forward with speed and grace," the minister added.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav noted that Madhya Pradesh is a powerful centre for cheetah reintroduction.
This is a historic achievement for the entire country in the direction of wildlife conservation, biodiversity, and environmental balance, the CM said in a post on X.
It is a matter of immense joy that under Project Cheetah, the female cheetah ‘Gamini’ who arrived from South Africa has given birth to three cubs, he said.
"With the completion of three years of cheetahs’ arrival at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, this is the 9th successful birth (of a litter). The total number of cheetahs in India has now increased to 38," Yadav added.
Earlier this month, cheetah Aasha, translocated to India from Namibia, gave birth to five cubs in KNP.
