Operation Passionflower: European authorities smash crypto messenger
Law enforcement authorities in Europe have busted another provider of encrypted communications for criminal users.
A joint investigation team of European law enforcement authorities has taken down the encrypted communication platform MATRIX (also MTX, Mactrix, Totalsec, X-Quantum, Q-Safe) in the coordinated "Operation Passionflower". According to the joint press release from European police authorities, the platform was shut down on December 3, 2024.
MATRIX was considered the successor to ANOM, Sky ECC and EncroChat. Despite the similarity in name, the MATRIX platform had nothing to do with the Matrix Foundation and the Matrix protocol, as the Dutch police also emphasized.
"The technical infrastructure was more complex than its predecessors Sky and Encro," explains Stan Duijf, Head of the Operations Department of the Dutch National Criminal Police. The operators were convinced that users could communicate safely from police surveillance. However, according to the investigators, they were actually able to read over 2.3 million messages in 33 languages.
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They tracked down the providers of the fraudulent service after seizing a smartphone running the MATRIX platform in the getaway car following the 2021 assassination attempt on Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries in July 2021.
International operation in several countries
According to police, two people have now been arrested in coordinated operations in Marbella, Spain – the suspected owner and operator, a 52-year-old Lithuanian, and a 30-year-old Dutchman. The latter is also suspected of international cocaine trafficking in 2020.
The authorities seized 145,000 euros in cash, cryptocurrencies worth half a million euros, four vehicles and over 970 telephones. Real estate worth around 15 million euros was also frozen.
The MATRIX platform was offered under various names and was mainly installed on Google Pixel smartphones. A device with a six-month subscription cost between 1300 and 1600 euros. New users required an invitation.
The infrastructure comprised over 40 servers in several countries, with the most important servers located in France and Germany. In addition to encrypted communication, the platform also offered video calls, transaction tracking and anonymous internet browsing.
Investigations continue
In June 2024, an operational task force was set up with investigators from the Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Italy and Spain. This will also support future investigations based on the intercepted messages.
The authorities emphasize that the successful joint operation shows the importance of international cooperation in the fight against organized crime. The three-year secret cooperation between different countries was unique. Users of the platform who can invoke the legal right to refuse to give evidence, such as lawyers or doctors, can contact the authorities to have their data deleted.
(mack)
