Four distributors of the encrypted communication service Sky ECC, which was widely used by criminal organizations, have been arrested in Spain and the Netherlands.
At the end of January 2025, a special operation in the Spanish cities of Xàbia (Alicante) and Ibiza led to the detention of two key distributors of Sky ECC, who had amassed over €13.5 million from the sale of the service. Searches conducted across seven locations resulted in the seizure of €10,000 and $26,000 in cash, cryptocurrency worth €1.4 million, two luxury vehicles, and high-end goods valued at more than €50,000.
On January 31, Dutch authorities announced the arrest of two more individuals in Amsterdam and Arnhem. These high-ranking distributors had maintained direct contact with the platform’s leadership for years. Investigators attribute them with handling 25% of all Sky ECC subscriptions, generating approximately €6.8 million in profit.
According to Spanish law enforcement, the service was distributed via mobile devices preloaded with specialized encryption software, facilitating confidential communications. Clients primarily used it to coordinate international drug trafficking, arms dealing, and money laundering operations.
As the investigation is being overseen by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the individuals detained in Spain may be extradited to the Netherlands for further judicial proceedings.
The probe into Sky ECC, its distributors, and its clientele began as early as 2019. Subscribers paid a fee of €600 for a three-month access plan. In March 2021, Europol successfully breached the platform’s encryption, gaining access to the communications of 70,000 users—exposing a vast network of criminal activity. At the time, Sky ECC denied the breach, insisting that cybercriminals did not use the service. However, investigators presented extensive evidence to the contrary.
It is worth recalling two other encrypted communication platforms, EncroChat and ANOM, both of which were previously compromised and subsequently shut down. Like Sky ECC, these subscription-based messaging services were widely favored by criminals seeking to conceal their illicit operations. Data obtained from all three platforms has been instrumental in law enforcement investigations, serving as key evidence in thousands of arrests.
