Sky ECC encrypted service distributors arrested in Spain, Netherlands www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/lega…

Four distributors of the encrypted communications service Sky ECC, used extensively by criminals, were arrested in Spain and the Netherlands.

According to an announcement by the Spanish police, the two suspects arrested in the country were the leading global distributors of the service, generating over €13.5 million ($14M) in profits.

In March 2021, Europol announced that it had cracked Sky ECC’s encryption, allowing investigators to monitor the communications of 70,000 users, revealing extensive criminal activity.

Today, the police in Spain announced the apprehension of two leading sellers of the Sky ECC service and the confiscation of money and key items.

The search and arrest operation took place in late January 2025 in Jávea (Alicante) and Ibiza.

The police in the Netherlands reported on January 31, 2025, that they arrested two men in Amsterdam and Arnhem. The two were high-ranking sellers of the service, reportedly having direct contact with the platform’s CEO for years.