KazPost

Kazakhstan News
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Royals and politicians among celebrities who used secret EncroChat app

Royals and politicians among celebrities who used secret EncroChat app

Royalty and politicians are among celebrities and wealthy business figures who used the SAME secret phone network smashed by police to track down 746 UK crime kingpins.

High-profile names were today linked to the known 60,000 users of EncroChat, with 10,000 in the UK alone.

The devices used for the secure messaging app – usually a modified Android handset – are not illegal and until weeks ago were available to buy online.

The EncroChat system was installed onto modified mobile phones and cost £1,500 to run for six months


But the network hack by European law enforcement teams, partnered with the UK’s National Crime Agency, saw the coded communications system smashed wide open.

Data was then passed to regional police forces who carried out waves of arrests in a drive codenamed Operation Venetic.

The breach by the NCA has prompted concern from legitimate users of the system over what information was uncovered and whether they could be visited by police.

Sources stressed EncroChat was not the exclusive domain of criminals, with the privacy it gave users an attraction for high-profile individuals.

EncroChat being compromised that provided data that led to raids across the UK, like this one in Oldham on Thursday


One told the MailOnline: ‘There is no doubt big names will have used this app and system.

‘The nature of the network means it is highly-desirable for those who want privacy, certainly not just criminals plotting wrongdoing.

'They will be wondering if any of their messages have gone before investigators looking for crooks.'

Deepak Vij, who is the Director of law firm ABV Solicitors, said celebrities would have been among EncroChat users due to the privacy it offered customers



A court report on a drug gang who used the phones was told last year the system had been ‘originally developed for celebrities’ worried their calls were not secure.

And French authorities admitted yesterday although the system was used by criminals, at least ten per cent were legitimate, innocent users.

Deepak Vij, who is the Director of law firm ABV Solicitors, told the MailOnline there was little doubt important people would have been EncroChat customers.

He said: ‘This technology was very useful to persons including royalty, politicians, high network individuals, and executives who did not want their sensitive communications or data to be discovered.

‘If it was just criminals that used these things, the devices would have been made illegal – they weren’t.

‘They were used for important people to have secure conversations without them falling into the wrong hands.

‘If you are someone from the media or a politician you have the justification for having one.

‘There are a vast number of people who have been curious and concerned by the NCA coming out saying what they have been doing.

‘EncroChat was a flagship company for secure communications around the world before this.’

The system works by customers paying up to £1,500 for six months use of the encrypted handset.

A feature of the device means there is a command which can quickly wipe everything on phone.

The huge international police operation yesterday saw a total of 746 arrests made across Europe.

More than two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns and £54m in cash was seized in raids.

Newsletter

Related Articles

KazPost
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
Corruption in the European Parliament - Business as usual
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
Paris Suburb Grapples with Violence as Curfew Imposed: Saint-Denis Residents Express Dismay and Anger
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
Alef Aeronautics Achieves Historic Milestone with Flight Certification for World's First Flying Car
Google Blocked Access to Canadian News in Response to New Legislation
French Politicians Advocate for Pan-European Regulation on Social Media Influencers
×