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| Hacked EncroChat system for chatting |
European police have successfully penetrated the EncroChat system. BBC reported that after intercepting millions of messages, the British National Crime Prevention Agency (NCA) dismantled dozens of coded organized crime groups.
These messages were sent by EncroChat, which is a popular subscription telephone system for professional criminals. The National Council said at a press conference: This process has had a major impact on organized criminal gangs.
It appears that European law enforcement agencies have been following these conversations for several months as French police entered the network for the first time and used the EncroChat device after it was determined that some of its servers were hosted in France.
The French authorities began decrypting (EncroChat) in March and started receiving data in April.
The police have reportedly held private and safe conversations about various crimes, including drug operations and money-laundering plans.
(EncroChat) sells custom Android phones that bypass the functions of GPS, camera and microphone, and provides a dedicated encrypted messaging app that works through a secure auxiliary operating system (except Android) and works through centralized server-managed messages.
These phones also have the function of self-destruction. If you enter the PIN code, the content of the device will be erased and sold for 1,000 euros at a subscription price of 1500 euros for six months.
The service extends to customers in 140 countries and has been described as a legitimate platform. However, reports show that service is widespread in criminal groups, including drug organizations, gangs, and murderers.
The Dutch company responsible for EncroChat only noticed in May that some devices were damaged, as some users found that the functionality was not working.
(EncroChat) However, after failed attempts to stop the SIM service and close the network, the malware functionality could not be restored and monitored.
Customer service said, "We can no longer guarantee the safety of your device. We recommend that the device be turned off and used immediately."
It is worth noting that the British police arrested 746 people, intercepted two tons of drugs, and confiscated 54 million pounds in cash and weapons and more than 28 million calms (Etizolam) through the underground gun network.