8000 suspects

Investigators shut down chat service used by criminals

For three months, the investigators intercepted and read around 2.3 million messages.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

According to Europol, Dutch and French investigators have shut down a communication platform used by criminals. It had been used by around 8,000 suspects in 33 languages, Europol announced in The Hague. 

For three months, the investigators had intercepted and read around 2.3 million messages. These could now be used for further investigations throughout Europe. According to Europol, the chats concerned crimes such as drug smuggling, money laundering and arms trafficking. Two suspects were arrested in Spain, including the alleged owner, a 52-year-old man from Lithuania. An arrest was also made in France.

Platform specifically for communication between criminals
According to Europol, the platform called Matrix had been specially developed for communication between criminals. Dutch officials discovered Matrix during the investigation into the murder of prominent crime reporter Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam in 2021. A cell phone with Matrix installed was found in the perpetrator's getaway car.

According to the Dutch police, the platform was technologically very complex. Users would have felt safe. The platform included several apps. For example, users could send encrypted messages, make tap-proof phone calls and record their payment transactions. According to the police, it cost around 3,000 euros per year to use the service. An invitation was required to join the service.