Already more than 1,200 people convicted in Sky ECC cases
In total, more than 1,200 people have already been convicted for cases that were initiated after the hack of the encrypted messaging service Sky ECC. They were mainly convicted in drug cases, but also for violence, money laundering, breach of professional secrecy and weapons offences. It has been almost five years since the largest police operation ever in Belgium was launched.
Sky ECC offered secure phones that could be used to exchange encrypted messages, which made the service very popular in criminal circles. Belgian investigators, together with international partners and Europol, succeeded in hacking the network and deciphering some of the communications.
More than a billion messages were then used in judicial investigations. This led to the arrest of numerous criminals, but also of public figures, such as lawyers and even an employee of the Antwerp public prosecutor's office.
After five years of investigation, 470 cases were opened against criminals who used the encrypted messaging service. Analysis of the messages also identified nearly 5,000 potential suspects. More than 200 ongoing cases were also enriched with information from Sky ECC messages. Furthermore, the police and public prosecutor's office also seized more than 224 million euros and handed out 3,684 years of prison sentences.
The investigation also showed that the global scale of organised crime surrounding the international cocaine trade was particularly striking. Drug transfers in Belgium and South America were controlled by one or more devices from distant countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Morocco, Albania or other Balkan countries. This allowed the leaders of the drug gangs to control drug shipments from a safe distance, without coming into contact with the drugs.
The extensive international network of drug criminals also required international cooperation from the Belgian police and judicial authorities. The police sent liaison officers to Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, Morocco, Italy and Albania. A magistrate was also appointed to maintain cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. The latter has already extradited thirteen suspects to Belgium, including Dutch drug lord Flor Bressers and Antwerp drug baron Othman El Ballouti.
Drug cartels from the Balkans in particular appeared to have gained a foothold in Belgium. For example, a third of the encrypted messages were in Albanian, the mother tongue of 578 of the suspects. That is why Belgium is working closely with the Albanian public prosecutor's office on the Sky ECC cases. The Belgian Sky ECC data have already helped solve fifteen murders and fifteen attempted murders in Albania. Belgium also shared its data with Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Press conference on the results of the Sky ECC cases © BELGA PHOTO MYRTHE VAN DER VEKEN
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