Authorities dismantle encrypted criminal messaging service

MATRIX takedown led to seizure of €645,000

European law enforcement has cracked and dismantled MATRIX, an encrypted messaging service international criminal networks used for drug and arms trafficking.

The service first came to investigators’ attention during the probe into the 2021 murder of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries. Dutch authorities discovered MATRIX on the phone of one of the convicted perpetrators, sparking a large-scale investigation.

Described as a platform "made by criminals for criminals," MATRIX's infrastructure hosted over 40 servers in multiple countries, with critical servers in France and Germany.

It offered a range of advanced features, including encrypted messaging, video calls, secure transactions and anonymous internet browsing. The platform's founders marketed it as a superior and secure alternative to other criminal communication tools.

To gain access, users had to pay a fee of between $1,360 and $1,700 in cryptocurrency for a specialised phone preloaded with the service.

Through cooperation under the joint investigation team, supported by Eurojust and Europol, Dutch and French investigators employed new technology to monitor MATRIX's operations.

This led to the interception of more than 2.3 million messages in 33 languages.

Europol confirmed that these communications were linked to serious criminal activities, including international drug trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering.

The operation involved a coordinated effort across law enforcement agencies from multiple countries, including Italy, Lithuania and Spain.

MATRIX's main servers in France and Germany were dismantled, while house searches led to the arrest of key individuals involved in the service's operation.

Among those arrested is the alleged owner and manager of MATRIX, a 52-year-old Lithuanian national.

Authorities also seized substantial assets, including €145,000 in cash, €500,000 in cryptocurrency, vehicles and numerous mobile phones.

Criminals attempting to access the service now encounter a splash page notifying them of law enforcement interception. This legal action allows authorities to access the intercepted messages for ongoing investigations.

"Through legal requests, authorities will now be able to access the messages for their investigations," Europol said.

MATRIX is the latest in a series of encrypted platforms dismantled by European authorities, following successful operations against systems such as Sky ECC and EncroChat.

Europol highlights the latest operation as a testament to the effectiveness of international collaboration and advanced technology in combatting organised crime.

Earlier this year, law enforcement agencies in the US and Europe announced the success of "Operation Endgame", which targeted cybercriminals who used botnets to steal data, send spam and extort money through ransomware.

The joint operation seized control of over 2,000 websites that used to spread malware.

Last year, Europol broke open a criminal network engaged in France's largest-ever "CEO swindle." The gang, based out of France and Israel, used business email compromise attacks to redirect funds from companies to its own bank accounts.

In 2022, Europol dismantled a gang that had stocked firearms, ammunition, electronic gadgets, designer clothes, jewellery, and thousands of euros in cash and cryptocurrencies.