A joint law enforcement effort between Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland has taken down another encrypted messaging app called Exclu, which was used by criminal organizations. Eurojust reported that 45 people were arrested in Belgium and the Netherlands, including users, administrators, and owners of the service. 79 locations were raided, resulting in the seizure of €5.5 million in cash, 300,000 ecstasy tablets, 20 firearms, and 200 phones. The investigation into Exclu began in Germany in June 2020. The app had an estimated 3,000 users, with 750 of them being Dutch speakers. The Politie was able to gain covert access to the service, allowing them to read messages sent by users for the past five months. Exclu was advertised as a secure communication platform with end-to-end encryption, costing €500 for a three-month license or €900 for a six-month license key. It was used by organized crime groups, particularly for drug trafficking. The operators of the service are accused of providing a secure channel for their customers to commit these crimes. This follows the successful takedown of similar messaging apps like EncroChat and Sky ECC in 2020 and 2021.
This Cyber News was published on thehackernews.com. Publication date: Wed, 08 Feb 2023 06:26:02 +0000