Security News > 2020 > July > Police Arrested Hundreds of Criminals After Hacking Into Encrypted Chat Network

In a joint operation, European and British law enforcement agencies recently arrested hundreds of alleged drug dealers and other criminals after infiltrating into a global network of an encrypted chatting app that was used to plot drug deals, money laundering, extortions, and even murders.

Dubbed EncroChat, the top-secret encrypted communication app comes pre-installed on a customized Android-based handset with GPS, camera, and microphone functionality removed for anonymity and security.

"EncroChat phones were presented to customers as guaranteeing perfect anonymity and perfect discretion both of the encrypted interface and the terminal itself," Europol said.

The encrypted communication network was not so secure, as French and Dutch police successfully hacked into the network and analyzed millions of messages and hundreds of thousands of images in real-time, "Over the shoulder of the unsuspecting senders."

"In early 2020, EncroChat was one of the largest encrypted digital communication providers with a very high share of users presumably engaged in criminal activity. User hotspots were particularly present in source and destination countries for cocaine and cannabis trade, as well as in money laundering centers," Europol said.

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