In Spain and the Netherlands, authorities have detained 4 distributors of the Sky ECC encrypted service, which has been extensively utilized by criminal groups.
At the end of January 2025, a special operation in Spanish cities like Have (Alikant) led to the apprehension of two prominent Sky ECC distributors who had generated over €13.5 million in revenue. Following searches at seven locations, law enforcement seized €10,000 and $26,000 in cash, €1.4 million in cryptocurrency, 2 cars, and luxury items exceeding €50,000 in value.
On January 31, the Netherlands Police reported the arrest of two more individuals in Amsterdam and Arneme, who had served as high-ranking sellers of the service and maintained direct contact with the platform’s leadership for years. These detainees were responsible for 25% of all Sky ECC subscriptions, resulting in a profit of around €6.8 million.
According to data from the Spanish police, the service was distributed through mobile devices equipped with special software that facilitated confidential communications. Clients leveraged this technology to coordinate international drug trafficking, arms deals, and money laundering.
Given that the investigation is overseen by the Netherlands prosecutor’s office, the individuals detained in Spain may face extradition to the Netherlands for further legal proceedings.
The scrutiny of the service, its distributors, and users commenced in 2019. Sky ECC subscribers paid €600 for a 3-month subscription to access the service. By March 2021, Europol successfully breached the service’s encryption, exposing communications from 70,000 users and uncovering significant criminal activities. While Sky ECC denied allegations of hacking and refuted claims of cybercriminal usage, investigators presented substantial evidence to the contrary.
It is noteworthy to mention other encrypted communication services, such as ENCROChat and Anom, that were previously hacked and subsequently shut down. Like Sky ECC, these paid messaging applications were favored by criminals seeking to conceal their illicit dealings. Law enforcement agencies utilized data from all three platforms as crucial evidence leading to thousands of arrests.