Security News > 2023 > September > Cops drill into chat apps, sink plot to smuggle tonnes of coke into Europe

Video Efforts by cops to seize and shut down encrypted messaging apps favored by criminals, and then mine their conversations for evidence, appear to have led to more arrests - plus the seizure of about 2.7 tonnes of cocaine.

Europol on Friday celebrated its "Dismantling of a large drug-trafficking organization," following an investigation into a Balkan cartel that was suspected of smuggling coke into Europe from South America via sea.

"Operational intelligence pointed out that the skippers of Ukrainian and Czech nationality traveled several times to Capo Verde or other locations in West Africa to prepare their vessel for smuggling operations," the European cops claimed.

Europol doesn't specify which chat app or multiple apps they snooped around on to find the alleged Serbian drug lord.

'Top three Balkans drug kingpins' arrested after cops crack their Sky ECC chats Cops' total pwnage of 'secure' EncroChat nets 6,500+ arrests, €740m in funds - so far Eurocops shut down Exclu encrypted messaging app, arrest dozens UK cops score legal win in EncroChat snooping op.

On May 11, police arrested three people in Belgrade described as "The biggest" drug lords in the Balkans, as well as 10 other suspects in Serbia, and 10 alleged members of the cartel in Belgium, Serbia, Peru, and the Netherlands, bringing the total arrests to 23.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/09/02/europol_balkan_cartel/