A speciality cheesemonger who was conned out of 22 tons of Cheddar cheese may be closer to establishing the identity of the man who moved the cheese without paying for them.

The British police said they had arrested a 63-year-old man in connection with the theft from Neal’s Yard Dairy.

The theft grabbed headlines worldwide after the celebrated artisanal food dealer sent 950 cloth-bound wheels of cheese to fraudsters last month when an elaborate scam conned them into believing they were dealing with a legitimate wholesale distributor.

The hot cheese may have been smuggled to far flung markets in the Middle East or Russia, some reports have claimed.

Tom Calver, a cheesemaker who had 432 wheels of cheddar weighing 10 ton swiped in the heist said that he hoped the story of the robbery capturing headlines “would lead to some kind of justice.” He added: “The artisan cheese world is a small one and there is no other like it. Our industry is built on long-standing relationships where there is always trust and integrity in every sale. To feel like that such an old, traditional artisan product as our raw milk cheddars is being targeted is incredibly concerning.”

A 63-year-old man was arrested after police received a report of the theft from the manufacturer based in Southwark. The man was taken to a south London police station where he was questioned.

He has been bailed pending further inquiries, which are ongoing.

Neal’s Yard Dairy sells Hafod Welsh for £12.90 for a 300g piece, while Westcombe costs £7.15 for 250g and Pitchfork is priced at £11 for 250g.

Neal’s Yard said it had still paid the producers of the cheese so the individual dairies would not have to bear the costs.

It is now trying to deal with the financial setback, a spokesperson said.