The National Crime Agency (NCA) has announced the largest ever breakthrough against organised crime in the UK, following the infiltration of the encrypted communications system EncroChat. Since April, Operation Venetic has led to 746 arrests and the seizure of over £50 million in cash, along with firearms, drugs, and luxury goods.
The operation, which involved every UK police force, has mitigated 200 threats to life and dismantled dozens of organised crime groups. The NCA described the hack as the law enforcement equivalent of breaking the Enigma code, providing unprecedented access to criminal communications.
EncroChat, used exclusively by criminals, had 10,000 UK users paying £1,500 for six-month contracts. Features included self-destructing messages and remote data wiping. French law enforcement hacked the service, and the NCA insists the method was legal, though legal challenges are expected.
Seizures include 77 firearms, over two tonnes of class A and B drugs, 28 million Etizolam pills, 50 luxury cars, and 73 watches. One raid yielded the largest single cash seizure in Metropolitan Police history: £5 million. The Met noted that some arrested criminals were previously unknown to authorities.
The NCA's director of investigations, Nikki Holland, said: 'The infiltration of this command and control communication platform is like having an inside person in every top organised crime group in the country.'
By 13 June, criminals became aware of the infiltration, with one messaging: 'This year the police are winning.' EncroChat advised users to dispose of their devices. The operation continues to analyse millions of messages, potentially implicating high-level cartels.
