EncroChat phone seller faces 4 years in prison in the Netherlands

Dutch prosecutors are seeking four years in prison for a 28-year-old woman from Den Bosch, who is accused of selling encrypted EncroChat phones and participating in a criminal organization. According to the investigation, she sold devices that criminals used to exchange encrypted messages anonymously and also helped delete customers’ data after their arrest.

• The woman was engaged in the sale of EncroChat phones from April 2019 to June 2020, receiving large sums of cash. Investigators believe that her customers were drug dealers and criminal groups, and the total profit from sales amounted to  630,840 €
• The suspect worked as a sub-dealer and sold the phones on behalf of another person involved in the case, who ran a network of 30 resellers. She also allegedly remotely deleted data from customers’ devices after their arrest, which significantly complicated the work of law enforcement.

In July 2020, Dutch and French law enforcement agencies hacked EncroChat, allowing them to intercept over 20 million encrypted messages from criminals. This was a real breakthrough in the fight against organized crime, leading to 100 arrests, the dismantling of 19 drug labs, and the seizure of 10 tons of drugs and €20 million. EncroChat was a popular platform among criminal organizations because it provided anonymous communication via encrypted devices. However, after its hack, dozens of criminals were detained across Europe.

The trial is ongoing, with a verdict expected on April 15. Prosecutors insist that the woman knowingly helped criminals and that her activities significantly complicated the fight against drug trafficking.