The national Agency for the fight against crime in the UK (NCA), in conjunction with the police and international partners tracked down a criminal organized group, whose members could communicate and plan their activities through a secure service messaging EncroChat, the statement said NCA.
Secure channel EncroChat providing exchange of messages between users without linking accounts to mobile numbers or e-mail has become a major communication tool for criminal groups. Cracking the platform, law enforcement agencies have access to messages 60 thousand users of the messenger, including about 10 thousand customers in the UK.
In the large-scale operation, dubbed Venetic, which was conducted in several European countries in 2016, was detained 746 participants of international criminal group, seized more than 54 million pounds of cash, 77 firearms, drugs, and expensive cars 55 and 73 of expensive watches.
Also guardians of the rule of law in the course of a special operation managed to prevent the crime of kidnapping and other offences in the UK.
In June, when the messenger found hack the system, he sent messages to users with a recommendation to immediately get rid of the phones, said the NCA.
"This operation demonstrates that criminals will not get away with the use of encrypted devices for the preparation of heinous crimes… I congratulate NCA and partners for this significant achievement," – commented the results of the operation the Minister of internal Affairs of the United Kingdom Priti Patel.
