JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors Banner Image

Useful Information

  • Home
  • Useful Information
  • Crime/Fraud
Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs

What is Encrochat?

  • Posted

EncroChat was a European communication network and service provider that, from 2020 onwards, has been at the centre of a large number of arrests.

EncroChat was found to have been used as a ‘criminal marketplace’, where users could hide their identity via encrypted messages. A multi-jurisdiction operation led to EncroChat being breached by European agencies, including the National Crime Agency in the UK, who were then able to access text messages and images sent between users.

We discuss EncroChat and the potential implications of being a user in this article, as well as discussing what you should do if you have any concerns that the police may seize and search your devices.

While we hope this information is useful, please note, it should not be taken as legal advice. If you are concerned about being subject to an EncroChat arrest, then please get in touch and our team can advise you.

How does EncroChat work?

While it was operating, users were able to purchase a modified Android phone from EncroChat. When sending messages from these phones, users could hide their identities and encrypt messages to remain anonymous. If messages were intercepted for any reason, the messages would theoretically be impossible to read. Additional measures could be put in place, such as self-destructing messages and a ‘panic-wipe’ system.

Due to these features, EncroChat was alleged to have been used to facilitate serious organised crime. This included:

  • Drug dealing
  • Planning violent crimes
  • Money laundering and fraud
  • Importing illegal items, such as weapons

EncroChat is no longer active, having been permanently shut down in June 2020 following the investigation.

Who owns EncroChat?

The original founders and owners of EncroChat are unknown. It has been speculated that a Dutch organised crime hand was involved and financed the developers of EncroChat.

How did police hack EncroChat?

It is thought that the joint operation into EncroChat led to a piece of malware being planted on the French server in 2019, meaning they were able to interrupt the ‘panic-wipe’ feature and access messages between users.

By April 2020, European agencies, including the NCA, had access to millions of messages, which were then analysed before arrests were made.

Following the initial set of arrests in 2020, Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said: “This is just the beginning. We will be disrupting organised criminal networks as a result of these operations for weeks and months and possibly years to come.”

What should you do if you are concerned about EncroChat arrests?

If you are concerned about the potential of being arrested as a result of the EncroChat investigation, or you need clarification on the police’s powers to search your phone and social media accounts, our expert criminal defence solicitors are here to help. We have acted in several high profile EncroChat cases.

At JD Spicer Zeb, our EncroChat solicitors understand the complexities of these types of cases and what is required to build the strongest possible defence against any allegations you may be facing that are associated with the use of EncroChat.

We are highly skilled at handling the various types of evidence that may be relied on in these cases, including digital forensics. We have the skills and expertise to spot any potential flaws in the case against you and ensure that evidence that can be used to support your defence is correctly highlighted.

Our team have over 45 years of experience in handling criminal law matters and have been recognised with a Law Society accreditation in Criminal Litigation. Throughout the years, we have been able to establish a strong track record of success and have established close relationships with some of the country’s leading criminal defence barristers.

If you are facing a charge related to the EncroChat cases, we are here to provide you with the support you need.

Related matters

We also provide support and guidance on various matters that are related to the EncroChat arrests, including:

Our related cases

Fees and funding

When you work with our team, we will always be upfront about the legal fees that are likely to apply.

If you need to attend court in relation to an EncroChat case, legal aid public funding may become available. This will be the case if your matter justifies the grant of public funding.

Where you do not qualify for legal aid public funding, the alternative option is to fund the case on a private basis.

To find out more about the way we handle fees (both legal aid public funding and private fees) for an EncroChat arrest, please use the links provided below:

Contact our criminal defence lawyers today

If you are due to attend the police station, require any urgent specialist advice, or immediate representation in relation to an EncroChat investigation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

You can contact our dedicated criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you quickly.

24/7 legal representation for EncroChat charges

Please get in touch for a free consultation with one of our expert criminal defence solicitors, as well as immediate representation and advice for EncroChat.

We are available to represent clients all over England and Wales at any time, so please contact our Emergency Number at 07836 577 556.

Bespoke Private Fee Service

If you believe your case is likely to have serious consequences for you now, or in the future and you have the means to pay for this service

Read More

Do we offer free consultations? 

Read More

How can we help?

Common questions

We always work with the most experienced and best leading UK barristers, KCs (Kings Counsel). We cover all criminal cases 24/7 at the police station and court. Offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester cover cases across England and Wales. We can offer Legal Aid and affordable Private fee agreements. We can see you the same day, including virtually. Our Senior Partners supervise all of our cases.

How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you. 

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about  –

  • Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
  • Public and private funding benefits.
  • Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
  • An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
  • Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
  • The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
  • Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
  • Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
  • Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
  • If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
  • This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
  • Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

  • If we do not intend to take the case on.
  • Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
  • In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
  • Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
  • The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
  • The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
  • In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
  • If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
  • If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance. 
  • If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
  • If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
  • To businesses.
  • Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
  • Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
  • Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
  • Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
  • If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
  • If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.