- MATRIX criminal chat server has been taken down by police
- Over 2.3 million messages were retrieved
- The operation was a joint effort by Europol and Eurojust
Europol has revealed sophisticated encrypted messaging service, MATRIX, has been taken down following a joint action by French and Dutch authorities, dubbed ‘Operation Passionflower’. The service has been linked to serious crimes, including arms trafficking and money laundering.
A three-month investigation led to a coordinated operation, supported by Europol and Eurojust. The messaging service was made by criminals, for criminals, and was first discovered on the phone of the man convicted of the murder of a Dutch journalist in 2021.
Over 2.3 million messages in 33 languages were deciphered during the investigation. The MATRIX infrastructure spanned 40 servers, primarily based in France and Germany, with over 8,000 users, who pay between €1,300 and €1,600 per user for a six month subscription.
Operation Passionflower
Authorities have arrested the suspected owner and operator of the platform as part of the action, and have seized over half a million dollars worth of cryptocurrencies. As well as confiscating cryptocurrencies, the investigation seized a villa worth over 15 million euros, four vehicles, and 970 phones.
Authorities have warned criminals in a message posted onto the former site. “It’s not the first time and will not be the last time we are able to read the messages in real time. We gained access to data related to this service, and our investigation does not end here,” noted the statement.
Earlier in 2024, Interpol disrupted thousands of cybercrime instances as part of ‘Operation Synergia’. The operation led to over 1,00 servers and 22,000 malicious IP addresses being taken down.
Cybercrime continues to be a cat and mouse game, with servers seized and closed by authorities across the globe. Europol have reported that the infrastructure of the MATRIX service was more complex than previously targeted platforms, and represents a significant step forward for law enforcement.
‘While the new fragmented landscape poses challenges for law enforcement, the takedown of established communication channels, shows that authorities are on top of the latest technologies that criminals use.’ Europol’s statement confirmed.
The dismantled service is not the same as the legitimate communications platform hosted at matrix.org.
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