<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
was	O
a	O
Europe-based	O
communications	O
network	O
and	O
service	O
provider	O
that	O
offered	O
modified	O
smartphones	O
allowing	O
encrypted	O
communication	O
among	O
subscribers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
unidentified	O
source	O
associated	O
with	O
EncroChat	B-Application
announced	O
on	O
the	O
night	O
of	O
12	O
–	O
13	O
June	O
2020	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
would	O
cease	O
operations	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
police	O
operation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
police	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
read	O
unencrypted	O
EncroChat	B-Application
messages	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
1,000	O
arrests	O
had	O
been	O
made	O
across	O
Europe	O
as	O
of	O
22	O
December	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
handsets	O
emerged	O
in	O
2016	O
as	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
a	O
previously	O
disabled	O
end-to-end	O
encrypted	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
had	O
revealed	O
on	O
31	O
December	O
2015	O
the	O
Version	O
115	O
of	O
EncroChat	B-Application
OS	I-Application
,	O
which	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
public	O
release	O
of	O
their	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
May	O
2019	O
report	O
by	O
the	O
Gloucester	O
Citizen	O
,	O
EncroChat	B-Application
was	O
originally	O
developed	O
for	O
"	O
celebrities	O
who	O
feared	O
their	O
phone	O
conversations	O
were	O
being	O
hacked	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2015	O
murder	O
of	O
English	O
mobster	O
Paul	O
Massey	O
,	O
the	O
killers	O
used	O
a	O
similar	O
service	O
providing	O
encrypted	O
BlackBerry	B-Operating_System
phones	I-Operating_System
based	O
on	O
PGP	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
Dutch	O
and	O
Canadian	O
police	O
compromised	O
their	O
server	O
in	O
2016	O
,	O
EncroChat	B-Application
turned	O
into	O
a	O
popular	O
alternative	O
among	O
criminals	O
for	O
its	O
security-oriented	O
services	O
in	O
2017	O
–	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
founders	O
and	O
owners	O
of	O
EncroChat	B-Application
are	O
not	O
known	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
a	O
marketing	O
strategy	O
of	O
"	O
relentless	O
online	O
advertising	O
"	O
,	O
EncroChat	B-Application
rapidly	O
expanded	O
during	O
its	O
four	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
years	O
of	O
existence	O
,	O
benefiting	O
from	O
the	O
closure	O
of	O
its	O
competitors	O
PGP	B-Application
Safe	O
and	O
Ennetcom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
first	O
came	O
to	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
the	O
media	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
high-profile	O
criminals	O
Mark	O
Fellows	O
and	O
Steven	O
Boyle	O
had	O
been	O
using	O
the	O
encrypted	O
devices	O
to	O
communicate	O
during	O
the	O
May	O
2018	O
gangland	O
murder	O
of	O
John	O
Kinsella	O
in	O
Rainhill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
service	O
resurfaced	O
in	O
the	O
media	O
during	O
the	O
summer	O
of	O
2020	O
after	O
law	O
enforcement	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
infiltrated	O
the	O
encrypted	O
network	O
and	O
investigative	O
journalist	O
Joseph	O
Cox	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
reviewing	O
EncroChat	B-Application
for	O
months	O
,	O
published	O
an	O
exposé	O
in	O
Vice	O
Motherboard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
EncroChat	B-Application
service	O
was	O
available	O
for	O
handsets	O
called	O
"	O
carbon	O
units	O
"	O
,	O
whose	O
GPS	O
,	O
camera	O
and	O
microphone	O
functions	O
were	O
disabled	O
by	O
the	O
company	O
for	O
privacy	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Devices	O
were	O
sold	O
with	O
pre-installed	O
applications	O
,	O
including	O
EncroChat	B-Application
,	O
an	O
OTR-based	O
messaging	O
app	O
which	O
routed	O
conversations	O
through	O
a	O
central	O
server	O
based	O
in	O
France	O
,	O
EncroTalk	O
,	O
a	O
ZRTP-based	O
voice	O
call	O
service	O
,	O
and	O
EncroNotes	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
users	O
to	O
write	O
encrypted	O
private	O
notes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
generally	O
used	O
modified	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
models	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
BQ	O
Aquaris	O
X2	O
phone	O
hardware	O
,	O
others	O
on	O
Samsung	O
devices	O
,	O
and	O
sometimes	O
on	O
non-Android	O
BlackBerry	B-Operating_System
mobile	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Devices	O
with	O
EncroChat	B-Application
were	O
able	O
to	O
boot	O
in	O
two	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
only	O
the	O
power	O
button	O
was	O
pressed	O
to	O
turn	O
the	O
handset	O
on	O
,	O
they	O
booted	O
into	O
a	O
dummy	O
Android	B-Application
home	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
when	O
the	O
handset	O
was	O
switched	O
on	O
by	O
pressing	O
the	O
power	O
button	O
together	O
with	O
the	O
volume	O
button	O
,	O
the	O
phone	O
booted	O
to	O
a	O
secret	O
,	O
encrypted	O
partition	O
which	O
facilitated	O
secret	O
communication	O
via	O
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
French	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
journalist	O
Jurre	O
van	O
Bergen	O
,	O
the	O
IP	O
of	O
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
server	O
points	O
to	O
French	O
web	O
hosting	O
company	O
OVH	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
SIM	O
provider	O
was	O
the	O
Dutch	O
telecommunications	O
firm	O
KPN	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
devices	O
were	O
particularly	O
popular	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
although	O
they	O
were	O
also	O
sold	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
East	O
and	O
elsewhere	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
reported	O
in	O
July	O
2020	O
to	O
cost	O
€	O
1,000	O
( £900	O
)	O
each	O
,	O
then	O
€	O
1,500	O
( £	O
1,350	O
)	O
for	O
a	O
six-month	O
contract	O
to	O
use	O
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
solution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
website	O
says	O
that	O
the	O
firm	O
had	O
resellers	O
in	O
Amsterdam	O
,	O
Rotterdam	O
,	O
Madrid	O
and	O
Dubai	O
,	O
although	O
Cox	O
describes	O
EncroChat	B-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
highly	O
secretive	O
"	O
firm	O
which	O
"	O
does	O
not	O
operate	O
like	O
a	O
normal	O
technology	O
company	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
EncroChat	B-Application
encrypted	O
messaging	O
service	O
and	O
the	O
related	O
customized	O
phones	O
were	O
discovered	O
by	O
the	O
French	O
National	O
Gendarmerie	O
in	O
2017	O
when	O
conducting	O
operations	O
against	O
organized	O
crime	O
gangs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
January	O
2020	O
,	O
a	O
judge	O
in	O
Lille	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
authorized	O
the	O
infiltration	O
of	O
the	O
EncroChat	B-Application
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intelligence	O
and	O
technical	O
collaboration	O
between	O
the	O
NCA	O
,	O
the	O
National	O
Gendarmerie	O
and	O
Dutch	O
police	O
culminated	O
in	O
gaining	O
access	O
to	O
messages	O
after	O
the	O
National	O
Gendarmerie	O
put	O
a	O
"	O
technical	O
tool	O
"	O
on	O
EncroChat	B-Application
's	O
servers	O
in	O
France	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
estimated	O
that	O
around	O
50	O
percent	O
of	O
devices	O
in	O
Europe	O
were	O
affected	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
night	O
of	O
12	O
–	O
13	O
June	O
2020	O
,	O
once	O
EncroChat	B-Application
suspected	O
the	O
infiltration	O
by	O
law	O
enforcement	O
had	O
occurred	O
,	O
users	O
received	O
a	O
secret	O
message	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
an	O
"	O
email	O
address	O
long	O
associated	O
with	O
EncroChat	B-Application
"	O
informed	O
Vice	O
Motherboard	O
that	O
the	O
service	O
was	O
shutting	O
down	O
permanently	O
"	O
following	O
several	O
attacks	O
carried	O
out	O
by	O
a	O
foreign	O
organization	O
that	O
seems	O
to	O
originate	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
"	O
;	O
Cox	O
publicly	O
disclosed	O
excerpts	O
of	O
the	O
email	O
on	O
22	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
identity	O
of	O
the	O
persons	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
EncroChat	B-Application
has	O
not	O
been	O
revealed	O
as	O
of	O
3	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Dutch	O
police	O
arrested	O
more	O
than	O
100	O
suspects	O
and	O
seized	O
more	O
than	O
8	O
tonnes	O
of	O
cocaine	B-Application
,	O
around	O
1.2	O
tonnes	O
of	O
crystal	O
methamphetamine	O
,	O
19	O
synthetic	O
drug	O
laboratories	O
,	O
dozens	O
of	O
guns	O
and	O
luxury	O
cars	O
,	O
and	O
around	O
€20million	O
in	O
cash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EncroChat	B-Application
probes	O
in	O
Ireland	O
have	O
left	O
criminals	O
scrambling	O
for	O
cover	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
€1.1	O
million	O
worth	O
of	O
cocaine	B-Application
was	O
seized	O
in	O
an	O
Amsterdam	O
flat	O
,	O
and	O
€5.5	O
million	O
of	O
cannabis	O
in	O
a	O
trailer	O
in	O
County	O
Wexford	O
,	O
both	O
belonging	O
to	O
Irish	O
gangs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2020	O
,	O
EncroChat	B-Application
had	O
10,000	O
users	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
alone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
354kg	O
of	O
cocaine	B-Application
were	O
seized	O
by	O
the	O
Eastern	O
unit	O
in	O
Essex	O
and	O
East	O
Anglia	O
,	O
and	O
233kg	O
by	O
the	O
West	O
Midlands	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Police	O
Scotland	O
seized	O
164kg	O
of	O
cocaine	B-Application
,	O
£	O
200,000	O
of	O
cannabis	O
and	O
£	O
750,000	O
in	O
cash	O
in	O
several	O
busts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
22	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
Thomas	O
Maher	O
was	O
jailed	O
for	O
14	O
years	O
and	O
8	O
months	O
at	O
Liverpool	B-Application
Crown	O
Court	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
involved	O
in	O
conspiracies	O
to	O
smuggle	O
about	O
£1.5	O
million	O
(	O
€1.6	O
m	O
)	O
of	O
cocaine	B-Application
from	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
to	O
Ireland	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
laundering	O
about	O
£1	O
million	O
(	O
€1.09	O
m	O
)	O
in	O
cash	O
between	O
Ireland	O
and	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
had	O
used	O
two	O
EncroChat	B-Application
phones	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
not	O
recovered	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
aliases	O
"	O
Satirical	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Snacker	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2022	O
the	O
first	O
murder	O
plot	O
convictions	O
due	O
to	O
EncroChat	B-Application
were	O
secured	O
,	O
against	O
Paul	O
Fontaine	O
and	O
Frankie	O
Sinclair	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Operation	O
Eternal	O
,	O
the	O
London	O
Metropolitan	O
Police	O
arm	O
of	O
the	O
EncroChat	B-Application
operation	O
,	O
described	O
itself	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
operation	O
the	O
Metropolitan	O
Police	O
Service	O
has	O
ever	O
launched	O
against	O
serious	O
and	O
organised	O
crime	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
1,400	O
EncroChat	B-Application
users	O
were	O
based	O
in	O
London	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
its	O
closure	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
arrested	O
for	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
charges	O
,	O
including	O
conspiracy	O
to	O
supply	O
cocaine	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
21	O
May	O
2021	O
,	O
Carl	O
Stewart	O
of	O
Gem	O
Street	O
,	O
Liverpool	B-Application
was	O
sentenced	O
to	O
13	O
years	O
and	O
6	O
months	O
at	O
Liverpool	B-Application
Crown	O
Court	O
after	O
pleading	O
guilty	O
to	O
attempting	O
to	O
smuggle	O
cocaine	B-Application
,	O
heroin	O
,	O
MDMA	O
and	O
ketamine	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
transferring	O
criminal	O
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
had	O
used	O
EncroChat	B-Application
to	O
transfer	O
large	O
amounts	O
of	O
class	O
A	O
and	O
B	O
drugs	O
under	O
the	O
alias	O
"	O
ToffeeForce	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
Everton	O
F.C.	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
identified	O
from	O
a	O
photo	O
he	O
had	O
sent	O
via	O
Encrochat	B-Application
showing	O
his	O
hands	O
holding	O
a	O
block	O
of	O
Blue	O
Stilton	O
.	O
</s>
