6,500 arrests plus nearly a billion seized
Following its initial compromise by European law enforcement agencies in 2020, further efforts have targeted the userbase of EncroChat. The encrypted communications platform which ran on a specially hardened version of the Android operating system offered users self-destruct features, panic wipe capabilities, 24/7 customer support, and more for a one-time payment of €1,000 and €1,500 for a 6 month subscription. More than 6,500 arrests have since been made, including of 197 high-value targets. This was done through analysing over 100 million conversations between approximately 60,000 users of the platform. Through utilising this data, law enforcement agencies across Europe were able, in addition to the thousands of arrests, seize 270 tons of narcotics, 971 vehicles, 271 properties, 923 weapons, 68 explosives, 40 planes, 83 boats, as well as €740 million in cash in addition to freezing a further €154 million. Europol states that a third of EncroChat users were members of organised crime groups, a third were drug traffickers, while the rest were included money launderers, murderers, and firearms traffickers. This campaign sent shockwaves through OCGs (Organised Criminal Groups) across Europe, and further highlighted the intersection between conventional criminal activity and cyber- enabled crimes.
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