Law enforcement authorities across Europe and Türkiye have dealt a major blow to four criminal networks alleged to be at the heart of drug trafficking and money laundering across the continent.
The operation, supported by Europol and codenamed Operation BULUT, culminated in coordinated raids that resulted in the arrest of 232 suspects, including some of the most sought-after figures in organized crime.
Encrypted Platforms Turned Against Criminals
The operation’s unprecedented success was made possible through the exploitation of encrypted communication platforms, including Sky ECC and ANOM.
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While originally developed to provide secure messaging, these tools were compromised by law enforcement, allowing authorities to decrypt and monitor criminal communications in real time.
Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Europol’s Executive Deputy Director of Operations, emphasized the significance: “Years after their takedown, encrypted platforms like SKY ECC and ANOM are still helping law enforcement turn intelligence into action.
This case shows how powerful that data remains in identifying and dismantling high-value criminal networks operating in Europe.”
On April 15, authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Türkiye launched simultaneous raids targeting both the leadership and logistics of the criminal organizations.
These groups had independently established themselves as dominant players in Europe’s illicit drug market, using traditional smuggling routes alongside sophisticated logistics networks.
Investigators linked the networks to the trafficking of at least 21 tonnes of drugs, including 3.3 million MDMA tablets, and revealed their involvement in money laundering and violent crime.
Assets worth over €300 million were seized, comprising 681 properties and 127 vehicles across Europe and Türkiye.
Operation BULUT was built on the sharing of decrypted intelligence. French authorities provided Sky ECC data to their Turkish counterparts, while the Australian Federal Police shared intelligence from the ANOM platform.
This international collaboration resulted in Turkish officers joining Europol’s headquarters to analyze encrypted data and map out criminal hierarchies.
The unified approach enabled authorities to identify criminal links in Türkiye and EU member states, leading to a second wave of arrests across Europe.
Europol played a central role, facilitating coordination, real-time intelligence sharing, and strategic meetings among participating nations.
This major crackdown is part of Europol’s wider strategy to systematically identify and dismantle resilient criminal organizations.
The operation demonstrates the enduring value of intelligence sourced from compromised encrypted platforms, proving that sophisticated criminal enterprises can be unmasked and disrupted when international partners unite and act on actionable data.
Authorities from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Türkiye contributed to the operation’s success, marking a new milestone in the fight against organized crime in Europe.
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