French authorities dismantle encrypted phone network believed to be connected to murder of Dutch journalist
Europol reported that over 2.3 million messages in 33 languages on the MATRIX system were intercepted and decoded during a three-month period.
Working with other European law enforcement agencies, French authorities successfully dismantled the encrypted phone messaging network known as MATRIX. This network was connected to the murder of Dutch crime journalist Peter R. De Vries in 2021.
The discovery of MATRIX was linked to a criminal convicted of murdering a Dutch journalist in 2021, believed to be Peter R. De Vries. De Vries was shot and killed outside a television studio in Amsterdam in July 2021 while assisting a criminal-turned-state’s witness in a case against organized crime members.
Upon finding MATRIX on the suspect’s phone, French and Dutch authorities launched an investigation resulting in the interception and decryption of millions of messages related to serious crimes such as drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and money laundering.
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Notably, the Mocro Maffia group was implicated in the unsolved murder of Dutch lawyer Derk Wiersum in 2019, as well as alleged collaborations with the Iranian regime against political opponents in Europe, according to Spanish politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
‘Technically More Complex’
Europol noted that the investigation into MATRIX revealed its technical complexity compared to previous platforms like Sky-ECC and EncroChat.
In a similar operation in 2020, French authorities successfully compromised EncroChat’s encryption, leading to numerous convictions across Europe.
According to Europol, MATRIX founders believed the service provided superior security but were eventually apprehended. The service required invitation-only access and operated through a complex infrastructure with servers in multiple countries.
Law enforcement agencies from six countries coordinated a successful operation leading to arrests in France, Spain, and Lithuania, enabling access to MATRIX messages for further criminal investigations.
Encrypted Landscape ‘More Fragmented’
Following the takedowns of services like Sky-ECC, EncroChat, Exclu, and Ghost, the encrypted communication landscape has become more fragmented, according to Europol.
Criminals are resorting to less-established communication tools with varying levels of security in response to disruptions in their messaging services.
In June this year, three individuals were convicted in the murder case of Peter R. De Vries, each receiving lengthy prison sentences. The judge emphasized their ruthlessness and disregard for human life during the trial.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
