‘Iconic figures’ among 746 crime bosses nicked after cops crack ‘impregnable’ phone system
ICONIC figures were among the 746 crime bosses rounded up after an “impregnable” encrypted phone system was hacked by law enforcement agents.
The extraordinary operation has been described by the UK’s National Crime Agency as the biggest ever blow against organised crime in history.
A total of 746 “Mr and Mrs Bigs” have been arrested across Britain since the beginning of April after the EncroChat system was pierced – stopping 200 potential murders and kidnappings.
The Dutch encrypted system had boasted of being totally secure and premier league gangs insisted on using the £3,000 a year phones to facilitate crime.
But law enforcement punched holes in the UK organised crime network with the hundreds of arrests, plus seizing:
- Over £54million in criminal cash
- 77 firearms, including an AK47 assault rifle, sub machine guns, handguns, four grenades, and over 1,800 rounds of ammunition
- More than two tonnes of Class A and B drugs
- Over 28 million Etizolam pills (street Valium) from an illicit laboratory
- 55 high value cars, and 73 luxury watches.
Chief Constable Peter Goodman, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “Criminals have been using these devices believing they were indecipherable by law enforcement.
“It is without doubt the biggest ever coup by law enforcement in the UK against organised crime.”
Suspected British Narco masterminds targeted for decades are among those nicked during the Operation Venetic swoops.
Around 200 potential murders and kidnappings have been prevented as cops listened in to gangsters using Aquarius smartphones to allegedly order executions of rivals on the EncroChat phone and messaging system.
The NCA hailed Operation Venetic as “the biggest and most significant operation of its kind in the UK.”
And Met Commissioner Cressida Dick hailed the operation as the “most significant” move against serious and organised crime in London.
She said: “Organised crime groups have used encrypted communications to enable their offending.
“They have openly discussed plots to murder, launder money, deal drugs and sell firearms capable of causing atrocious scenes in our communities.
“They were brazen and thought they were beyond the reach of the law.”
And she said the work done by investigators had now ended the “trail of misery” caused by the criminals.
She warned: “This is just the beginning, there are many more people we are investigating. We know who they are and we have seen what they are doing and who they are doing it with.
“We will not rest until they have seen justice.”
Because the phones operated on a system in Holland, and not the UK, conversations and messages bugged by cops can be used as evidence against the villains.
There were 60,000 users of the encrypted EncroChat phone and messaging system world worldwide, with and around 10,000 users in the UK.
It purported to provide secure phones for celebrities, but the NCA said: “The sole use was for coordinating and planning the distribution of illicit commodities, money laundering and plotting to kill rival criminals.”
CLOSING IN: Messages sent
Recent messages intercepted from some of the UK handsets include:
“This year the police are winning.”
“NCA as u know well are sophisticated and relentless.”
“If NCA then we have a big problem.”
“The police are having a field day.”
The NCA said in a statement: “Since 2016, the National Crime Agency has been working with international law enforcement agencies to target EncroChat and other encrypted criminal communication platforms by sharing technical expertise and intelligence.
“Two months ago this collaboration resulted in partners in France and the Netherlands infiltrating the platform. The data harvested was shared via Europol.
“Unbeknown to users the NCA and the police have been monitoring their every move since then under Operation Venetic – the UK law enforcement response.
“Simultaneously, European law enforcement agencies have also been targeting organised crime groups.
“The EncroChat servers have now been shut down.”
The NCA the underworld is now running scared with many more arrests expected to follow, including money launderers from professional classes as well lowly OCG members.
On 13 June EncroChat realised the platform had been penetrated and sent a message to its users urging them to throw away their handsets, said the NCA.
The phones – which have pre-loaded apps for instant messaging, the ability to make VOIP calls (technology that converts your voice into a digital signal, allowing you to make a call directly from a computer) and a kill code which wipes them remotely – have no other conventional smart phone functionality and cost around £1,500 for a six-month contract.
NCA Director of Investigations Nikki Holland, said:“The infiltration of this command and control communication platform for the UK’s criminal marketplace is like having an inside person in every top organised crime group in the country.
“This is the broadest and deepest ever UK operation into serious organised crime.
“Together we’ve protected the public by arresting middle-tier criminals and the kingpins, the so-called iconic untouchables who have evaded law enforcement for years, and now we have the evidence to prosecute them.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for serious organised crime, Chief Constable Steve Jupp, said: “By dismantling these groups, we have saved countless lives and protected communities across the UK.”
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Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “This operation demonstrates that criminals will not get away with using encrypted devices to plot vile crimes under the radar.
“The NCA’s relentless targeting of these gangs has helped to keep us all safe. I congratulate them and law enforcement partners on this significant achievement.
“I will continue working closely with the NCA and others to tackle the use of such devices – giving them the resources, powers and tools they need to keep our country safe.”