How cocaine barons ‘hide in plain sight’: Kingpins take their children to school then plot murder and drug-dealing on EncroChat, police reveal – as 426 crooks across London are jailed for 3,722 years in Scotland Yard’s ‘biggest ever crackdown’
- The investigation, named Operational Eternal, first started in March 2020
Drug kingpins take their children on the school run and then plot murder and drug-dealing on an encrypted messaging platform.
A Metropolitan Police operation targeting EncroChat uncovered 426 criminals who were were jailed for a total of 3,722 years behind bars in the investigation, named Operation Eternal, since it began in March 2020.
Led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and its own Operation Venetic, the investigation used data taken from EncroChat to identify criminals, solve murders and tackle the drug trade – with more than 1,200 people jailed nationally.
The NCA’s deputy director of investigators, Craig Turner, told The Times drug lords are taking their children to school and then making a wad of money ‘in their downtime’.
He described the NCA’s operation as yielding ‘one of the most stunning results’ and said EncroChat gave the organisation ‘an absolute gold mine of intelligence’.
Naki Aslan, 39, a high-ranking gang member, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for conspiring to import in excess of 20kg of heroin and cocaine as part of the operation
The Met said 942 arrests had been made in Operation Eternal so far, with 784 of those charged and 426 convicted (Pictured: Cocaine seized by police)
While Commander Paul Brogden, head of specialist crime at Scotland Yard, said it was ‘the most significant operation targeting organised crime figures in the Met’s history’.
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EncroChat was a secret operating system accessed by a secure password on Android phones, with each user of the platform given a unique ‘handle’ made up of a noun and an adjective.
The handsets, which cost £1,500, could only communicate with other EncroChat devices and could have all their data wiped if handed over to the authorities.
Commander Brogden said many of those uncovered in the operation were ‘the kingpins’ of organised crime networks in London, saying: ‘They were sitting in their leafy enclaves and didn’t expect police to knock on their door and we did and brought them to justice, so I’m incredibly pleased about that.’
He added: ‘These criminals were using what we call a ”hard and secure” communication device, so effectively it’s like a social media platform that the criminals believed that we couldn’t access.
‘They were playing out their lifestyles [on EncroChat], trading drugs, ordering violence and murder here on the streets of London, and we could see that play out in a way we’ve never seen before. It was a significant leap forward.’
The platform messaged users urging them to get rid of their handsets after realising it had been compromised by law enforcement in June 2020, and it was shut down shortly afterwards.
The Met said 942 arrests had been made in Operation Eternal so far, with 784 of those charged and 426 convicted.
Three tonnes of Class A and B drugs and 49 guns were also seized by the force.
Frankie Sinclair, 35, from Cardiff, was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years after plotting a revenge murder
Three tonnes of Class A and B drugs and 49 guns were also seized by the force. While in the UK-wide Operation Venetic, 3,100 suspects were arrested and 1,867 charged, with 7,000 mobile devices collected and around 18 million messages logged
Officers seized 173 firearms, 3,000 rounds of ammunition and more than £19million in cash
More than 1,200 criminals have been jailed thanks to the infiltration of encrypted messaging platform EncroChat (Stock Image)
Naki Aslan, 39, a high-ranking gang member, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for conspiring to import in excess of 20kg of heroin and cocaine as part of the operation.
READ MORE: Police infiltration of ‘WhatsApp for crooks’ encrypted messaging app sees more than 1,200 criminals jailed and £19 million in cash seized
Officers discovered Aslan had an encrypted phone and used the EncroChat handle ‘junglecookie’ to arrange drug transactions.
Messages were also found showing Aslan attempted to source a firearm, a Makarov pistol, to shoot a business associate in May 2020.
The EncroChat messages from Aslan read: ‘You got anyone to fire a couple of shots? From the waist down but urgent. I wanna get him popped ASAP.’
In the UK-wide Operation Venetic, 3,100 suspects were arrested and 1,867 charged, with 7,000 mobile devices collected and around 18 million messages logged.
Detective Chief Inspector Driss Hayoukane, senior investigating officer for Operation Eternal, said there were significant trials coming up with some ‘iconic’ criminals and the force was still working ‘at a pace’ to make more arrests, with the operation ongoing.
Commander Brogden said the Met was working with the Home Office to look at whether a new legislative framework was needed for encrypted platforms going forward.
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