The National Police, in collaboration with the Nationale Politie of the Netherlands, has dismantled a criminal organization specialized in offering encrypted communication to criminals, with the arrest of one of its main distributors in Ibiza. Four people have been arrested in the operation, two of them in Spain – one in Ibiza and one in Jávea (Alicante) – and another two in the Netherlands.
The detainees managed the sale and distribution of the Sky ECC system, used to facilitate the planning of crimes such as international drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering, assuring their clients total privacy from possible police investigations. The network made more than 13.5 million euros in profits.
Searches in Ibiza and millionaire seizures
The arrest in Ibiza was part of a series of simultaneous searches in Spain and the Netherlands. In total, seven searches were carried out – two in Spain and five in the Netherlands – in which the agents seized:
- Multiple telephone terminals and electronic devices.
- 10,000 euros in cash and 1.4 million in cryptocurrencies.
- 26,000 and five luxury watches valued at more than 50,000 euros.
- Two high-end vehicles.
- Real estate and bank accounts seized amounting to 6 million euros.
Both arrested in Spain have been remanded in custody.
A criminal network with international connections
The investigation against the Sky ECC software and its encrypted communication infrastructure began in 2019, under the direction of the Dutch National Public Prosecutor’s Office. This system allowed criminal networks to operate with total discretion, making the work of security forces more difficult.
Those arrested in Spain were responsible for the distribution of Sky ECC devices, SIM cards and system software, as well as managing the subscription payments made by the criminal organizations. The police have proved that they knew that their service was being used to commit crimes, which makes them facilitators of criminal activities.
The authorities consider this operation to be a major blow against encrypted communication networks used by criminals throughout Europe. However, the investigation is still open and further arrests are not ruled out.
