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How were law enforcement officers able to expose a large-scale criminal network?
In the Netherlands, three men were convicted of selling a crypto communication service to criminal organizations. The court of the city of Arnhem issued a verdict in a case related to the offer of encrypted telephone services and applications that were used for criminal purposes.
The trio ran a telecommunications company that sold encrypted phones and apps that allowed anonymous communication from 2015 to 2018. Customers paid for services mainly in cash, and their personal data was not collected. This provided a high level of anonymity, which attracted criminal structures.
The investigation found that the sold phones and applications were actively used to coordinate criminal activities, including those related to drugs. Notably, the defendants were aware that their products were being used for illegal activities and even disabled customer accounts when they fell into the hands of the police to hide evidence.
In addition, two of the convicts were involved in the forgery of documents, creating fictitious invoices, which were then used in the company's financial statements.
The court concluded that the 1.2 million euros earned were of criminal origin, and that the defendants were aware of this when participating in money laundering. These funds were derived from the sale of services that facilitate criminal activity.
The leader of the group, a 52-year-old man from the city of Huissen, not only organized the sale of crypto products, but also collaborated with another criminal group, providing them with access to encrypted applications to commit crimes related to drug trafficking.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, the court took into account the duration of the investigation and recognized that this mitigates the punishment for the accused. The leader of the criminal group received 4.5 years in prison, and his two accomplices - 22 and 18 months, respectively.
Source
In the Netherlands, three men were convicted of selling a crypto communication service to criminal organizations. The court of the city of Arnhem issued a verdict in a case related to the offer of encrypted telephone services and applications that were used for criminal purposes.
The trio ran a telecommunications company that sold encrypted phones and apps that allowed anonymous communication from 2015 to 2018. Customers paid for services mainly in cash, and their personal data was not collected. This provided a high level of anonymity, which attracted criminal structures.
The investigation found that the sold phones and applications were actively used to coordinate criminal activities, including those related to drugs. Notably, the defendants were aware that their products were being used for illegal activities and even disabled customer accounts when they fell into the hands of the police to hide evidence.
In addition, two of the convicts were involved in the forgery of documents, creating fictitious invoices, which were then used in the company's financial statements.
The court concluded that the 1.2 million euros earned were of criminal origin, and that the defendants were aware of this when participating in money laundering. These funds were derived from the sale of services that facilitate criminal activity.
The leader of the group, a 52-year-old man from the city of Huissen, not only organized the sale of crypto products, but also collaborated with another criminal group, providing them with access to encrypted applications to commit crimes related to drug trafficking.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, the court took into account the duration of the investigation and recognized that this mitigates the punishment for the accused. The leader of the criminal group received 4.5 years in prison, and his two accomplices - 22 and 18 months, respectively.
Source
