EncroChat, an encrypted telephone network that was used extensively by organized criminal groups for planning illegal activities, was shut down by law enforcement agencies in July 2020. According to Europol, this led to the arrest of 6,558 suspects worldwide and the seizure of €900 million generated through illegal means.
The investigating authorities from France and the Netherlands intercepted and analyzed over 115 million conversations between more than 60,000 users on the platform, revealing details about drug transactions, money laundering, extortion, and even murders, according to the same report.
After almost three years, law enforcement agencies have announced their success against EncroChat:
– 6,558 arrests, including 197 high-priority suspects;
– 7,134 years of imprisonment for convicted criminals;
– €739.7 million in cash confiscated;
– Assets and bank accounts worth €154.1 million frozen;
– 30.5 million tablets of chemicals seized;
– 103.5 tons of cocaine, 163.4 tons of cannabis, and 3.3 tons of heroin captured;
– 971 cars, 83 boats, and 40 aircraft seized;
– 271 houses captured;
– 923 weapons seized, along with 21,750 rounds and 68 explosives.
EncroChat marketed itself as the network for the anonymity of its users, allowing them to operate with impunity through features like automatic message deletion and remote erasure options. The platform sold costly crypto-telephones at about €1,000 each, with users unaware that it had been taken over by law enforcement authorities at the start of 2020, providing valuable information about criminal groups and their activities. The company’s servers in France were shutdown as part of the investigation.