More than 27 tonnes of cocaine seized by Belgian customs in its port amount to Antwerp since February 20, thanks to an investigation by the authorities into the Sky ECC encrypted communications network used by criminal organizations.
This amount of drugs has a market value of 1.382 billion euros, the Antwerp prosecutor’s office clarified in a statement, adding that the most important seizure took place on Friday night to Saturday, with the discovery of almost 11 tons. cocaine in a container.
“During these last 42 days, the customs services, in cooperation with the federal judicial police of Antwerp, the federal prosecutor’s office and the prosecutor’s office of Antwerp, seized in the port of Antwerp a total of 27.64 tons of cocaine that can be directly linked to the Sky ECC dossier “, according to the announcement.
An extensive police operation against organized crime was carried out, according to the Athens News Agency, on March 9 in Belgium, after the federal police deciphered about 500 million messages sent via secure telephones circulated by Sky ECC. based in Canada, as part of a research that lasted more than two years.
Investigations had led to 48 arrests, weapons seizures, 1.2 million euros in cash, and police uniforms.
The network is also being investigated in other countries, including France, where five people have been charged with selling encrypted phones to smugglers.
Charges against the head and a former high-ranking official of the Canadian crypto network operator Sky Global, of which Sky ECC is a product, have been filed in the US, where they are suspected of helping drug smugglers protect their communications.
“The international cocaine smuggling has an important role to play in the intercepted messages,” the Antwerp prosecutor’s office said. “Based on these data, dozens of cocaine seizures have taken place since February 20,” the prosecutor’s office said, adding that “investigations into the individuals involved” in these drug trafficking cases are ongoing.
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