European police bring EncroChat to its knees

746 arrests, kidnappings for £ 54 million, 77 confiscated firearms and two tons of narcotic drugs removed from the market. All this only in the UK. Other detentions are added in France, Holland, Norway and Sweden. It is the result of an operation that led European police forces to wipe out operational criminal gangs across the continent that relied on a system called EncroChat for their communications.

EncroChat and EncroPhone laundry by the authorities

A company based in Amsterdam offers it, also providing ad hoc devices to make conversations as safe as possible: EncroPhone, essentially Android phones modified with the removal of the GPS module, cameras and microphone as well to be untraceable and with dedicated functions such as the immediate deletion of all the data contained by simply entering a PIN.



Device only capable of making VoIP calls and exchanging messages using encryption ia end-to-end. Two operating systems are pre-installed, one completely normal so as not to arouse suspicion in case of control. A full-blown service, provided for a fee and with an annual cost of several thousand Euros.

In March, the authorities of the old continent managed to force the security systems adopted by the platform to protect communications , intercepting from April those of drug traffickers and other criminals who ended up in handcuffs. It is not known what the method used is. The leaders of the operation say they have been able to prevent kidnappings and murders, avoiding serious dangers for about 200 people.

Source: VICE