Crime Chat Cracked: Hundreds of Drug and Gun Dealers Arrested

NCA along with forces worked tremendously hard to arrest dealers involved in exchange of drugs and guns.

Those involved in such deals had their own chat status, which has now been cracked by authorities in UK. According to the National Crime Agency, they were successfully in “penetrating” into top-secret communication systems of the dealers.

This than led to hundreds of arrests, making it one of the biggest mafia captures in history.

The Major Arrest

It is being reported that some popular names were amongst the 800 arrested. The authorities were able to decode messages on EncroChat and reach thr culprits behind.

During the arrests, more than two ton of drugs, more than a dozen guns and £54m in cash were seized.

Although NCA was part of the investigation, but was initiated by French and Dutch police. The officers involved worked hard to decode the chats and arrest those involved.

In a press conference, Wil van Gemert said that the hacking of network has led to dismantle of useful information. It gave important information of criminal activities including corruption, murders, drug transports and violent attacks.

The Three Month Long Investigation

The arrests didn’t happen overnight. It took three months for the authorities to decode and intercept.

Since the incarceration, many famous names came out of light, which were a part of all the heinous crimes led by the mafia.

Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner along with the force was able to arrest 171 criminals and seize £13.3m in cash. She labeled the operation as the “game changer” for the world.

She further added that this just the start. They will go further in-depths to dispose of crime from its roots, which can take years to pay off.

According to the NCA Director of Investigations, Nikki Holland, the operation was successful because of an insider who provided valuable information.

There are an estimated 60,000 users of the French-based app, EncroChat. Thus, since the operation, the app has been taken down.

As per NCA reports, this messaging system has been used as a “market place” for exchange of drugs, guns and cash. Additional, the groups unite to plan attack on rivals and murders using only this very system.

Since the decoding of the system, many gangs have been caught that were involved in crimes all around Europe.

Even after the success of this operation, the NCA including the French and Dutch police further plan to get their hands on other gangs hiding under cover.