The researchers point out that the tool was "superior” to those detected so far, with servers in more than 40 countries / Stops and searches were carried out in Germany, France, Lithuania and Spain on orders issued from the Netherlands
Matrix, a messaging service “created by criminals for criminals", as detailed by Europol, was first discovered by the Dutch authorities on the phone of a criminal convicted of the murder of Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries in 2021. A large-scale investigation into the courier service was launched at that time. It is a new blow to the communications of organized crime that follows the location of Ghost and the arrest of its alleged perpetrator in Australia.
It soon became clear that the infrastructure of this platform was technically more complex than previous platforms, such as Sky-ECC and EncroChat. "The founders were convinced that the service was superior and more secure than the applications previously used by criminals,” the people responsible for the operation add. Users could only join the service if they received an invitation. The infrastructure to run Matrix consisted of more than 40 servers in several countries, with major servers in France and Germany.
The cooperation between the Dutch and French authorities began through a joint investigation team set up at Eurojust. Thanks to an innovative technology, the authorities were able to intercept the messaging service and monitor activity on the service for three months. During the investigation, more than 2.3 million messages in 33 languages were intercepted and decrypted. The intercepted messages are linked to serious crimes such as international drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering.
On December 3, actions were taken to close the service and prosecute the most dangerous criminals in four countries. In France, a suspect was arrested and his home was searched. In Spain, two suspects were arrested following a European arrest warrant issued by the Netherlands and six homes were searched. Six addresses were searched in Lithuania. The main servers in France and Germany were deactivated. Criminals using the messaging service were alerted to the interception by the authorities through a splash page. From now on, the authorities will be able to access the messages for their investigations through legal requests.
The cross-border investigation into the Matrix is a clear example of the importance of international cooperation in the fight against serious organized crime. By working together, the Dutch and French authorities were able to exchange information and evidence quickly and implement joint actions. To support investigations into illegal activities made possible by this communication platform, an Operational Working Group (OTF) consisting of the Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Italy and Spain was set up at Europol in June 2024. This working group played a key role in monitoring criminal activity on the platform.
Europol will also assist in independent follow-up investigations arising from the information collected during the active phase of the operation. The German authorities supported the operation with their technical expertise. The Spanish authorities have been working with their French and Dutch counterparts since the early stages of the investigations. During the operation, 145,000 euros in cash and 500,000 euros in cryptocurrencies were seized, as well as four cars and more than 970 phones. A preventive freezing order was issued on a villa in Spain with an estimated value of 15 million euros.
The encrypted communications landscape has become even more fragmented after the closure of several services such as Sky-ECC, EncroChat, Exclu and Ghost. Criminals, in response to disruptions to their messaging services, have turned to a variety of less established or custom-designed communication tools that offer varying degrees of security and anonymity. While the new fragmented landscape poses challenges for law enforcement, the closure of established communication channels shows that the authorities are aware of the latest technologies used by criminals.
Matrix, a messaging service “created by criminals for criminals", as detailed by Europol, was first discovered by the Dutch authorities on the phone of a criminal convicted of the murder of Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries in 2021. A large-scale investigation into the courier service was launched at that time. It is a new blow to the communications of organized crime that follows the location of Ghost and the arrest of its alleged perpetrator in Australia.
It soon became clear that the infrastructure of this platform was technically more complex than previous platforms, such as Sky-ECC and EncroChat. "The founders were convinced that the service was superior and more secure than the applications previously used by criminals,” the people responsible for the operation add. Users could only join the service if they received an invitation. The infrastructure to run Matrix consisted of more than 40 servers in several countries, with major servers in France and Germany.
The cooperation between the Dutch and French authorities began through a joint investigation team set up at Eurojust. Thanks to an innovative technology, the authorities were able to intercept the messaging service and monitor activity on the service for three months. During the investigation, more than 2.3 million messages in 33 languages were intercepted and decrypted. The intercepted messages are linked to serious crimes such as international drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering.
On December 3, actions were taken to close the service and prosecute the most dangerous criminals in four countries. In France, a suspect was arrested and his home was searched. In Spain, two suspects were arrested following a European arrest warrant issued by the Netherlands and six homes were searched. Six addresses were searched in Lithuania. The main servers in France and Germany were deactivated. Criminals using the messaging service were alerted to the interception by the authorities through a splash page. From now on, the authorities will be able to access the messages for their investigations through legal requests.
The cross-border investigation into the Matrix is a clear example of the importance of international cooperation in the fight against serious organized crime. By working together, the Dutch and French authorities were able to exchange information and evidence quickly and implement joint actions. To support investigations into illegal activities made possible by this communication platform, an Operational Working Group (OTF) consisting of the Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Italy and Spain was set up at Europol in June 2024. This working group played a key role in monitoring criminal activity on the platform.
Europol will also assist in independent follow-up investigations arising from the information collected during the active phase of the operation. The German authorities supported the operation with their technical expertise. The Spanish authorities have been working with their French and Dutch counterparts since the early stages of the investigations. During the operation, 145,000 euros in cash and 500,000 euros in cryptocurrencies were seized, as well as four cars and more than 970 phones. A preventive freezing order was issued on a villa in Spain with an estimated value of 15 million euros.
The encrypted communications landscape has become even more fragmented after the closure of several services such as Sky-ECC, EncroChat, Exclu and Ghost. Criminals, in response to disruptions to their messaging services, have turned to a variety of less established or custom-designed communication tools that offer varying degrees of security and anonymity. While the new fragmented landscape poses challenges for law enforcement, the closure of established communication channels shows that the authorities are aware of the latest technologies used by criminals.