Police: More pain for busted kingpins

Recently uncovered messages between kingpin criminals suggest they are scared of UK investigators.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has unearthed comments like “the police are winning this year”, and “be scared of NCA” while processing millions of exchanges from a recently hacked communications system.

International law enforcement officers decoded Encrochat, an encrypted platform where users could speak privately between specially-designed handsets, in April.

More than 746 arrests have been made because of the data with seizures of more than £54 million in criminal cash, two tonnes of drugs, 77 firearms and 200 threats to life averted, in a Uk-wide probe known as Operation Venetic.

The Encrochat servers – which were infiltrated by French and Dutch partners – were based in France, and the data harvested was shared via Europol.

The NCA’S deputy director of investigations, Matt Horne, warned criminals: “This is just the start.”

He said: “Operation Venetic has targeted middle-ranking and top-tier criminals, including offenders who’ve previously been untouchable.

“The messages are a reflection of UK law enforcement’s standing in their eyes.”

David Tennant