An encrypted messaging app called Exclu, used by organised crime groups, has been hacked in a joint law enforcement operation conducted by Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.
Eurojust said in a press release that the February 3 operation led to the arrest of 45 people in Belgium and the Netherlands, some of whom include users, administrators and owners of the service.
Authorities in the three countries also launched raids at 79 locations, resulting in the seizure of €5.5 million in cash, 300,000 ecstasy tablets, 20 firearms and 200 phones. Two pharmaceutical laboratories were closed. The suspects are charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal possession of weapons and robbery.
The investigation into Exclu is said to have begun in Germany as early as June 2020. The app had around 3,000 users before it was taken down, of which 750 were Dutch-speaking.
Politie said in an announcement that it was able to gain secret access to the service, allowing it to read messages sent by users over the past five months.
“Exclu allows you to exchange messages, photos, notes, voice memos, chat conversations and videos with other users,” Politie said. “Exclu is appreciated by its owners and managers for its high level of security.”
Priced at €500 for a three-month license and €900 for a six-month license key, the developers advertise Exclu on their site, “Our application has multiple use cases. Use it for encrypted chat or email communication and store files and notes locally in the encrypted and compartmentalized vault. Our communication platform has integrated the world’s most sophisticated encryption protocols to ensure that no one has access to your data.” It therefore supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Its website and Instagram account are currently still operational.
The site also claims to have “integrated the world’s most sophisticated encryption protocols to ensure that no one has access to your data.”
“The users of ‘Exclu’ are to be attributed to organized crime and in particular drug trafficking,” the German federal police said. “The operators of the service are accused of helping their customers to commit these crimes (drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal possession of weapons and robbery) with a seemingly secure communication channel.”
The crackdown on Exclu follows the successful takedown of similar messaging apps such as EncroChat and Sky ECC in 2020 and 2021, which were also used by criminals of various stripes.
An encrypted messaging app called Exclu, used by organised crime groups, has been hacked in a joint law enforcement operation conducted by Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.
Eurojust said in a press release that the February 3 operation led to the arrest of 45 people in Belgium and the Netherlands, some of whom include users, administrators and owners of the service.
Authorities in the three countries also launched raids at 79 locations, resulting in the seizure of €5.5 million in cash, 300,000 ecstasy tablets, 20 firearms and 200 phones. Two pharmaceutical laboratories were closed. The suspects are charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal possession of weapons and robbery.
The investigation into Exclu is said to have begun in Germany as early as June 2020. The app had around 3,000 users before it was taken down, of which 750 were Dutch-speaking.
Politie said in an announcement that it was able to gain secret access to the service, allowing it to read messages sent by users over the past five months.
“Exclu allows you to exchange messages, photos, notes, voice memos, chat conversations and videos with other users,” Politie said. “Exclu is appreciated by its owners and managers for its high level of security.”
Priced at €500 for a three-month license and €900 for a six-month license key, the developers advertise Exclu on their site, “Our application has multiple use cases. Use it for encrypted chat or email communication and store files and notes locally in the encrypted and compartmentalized vault. Our communication platform has integrated the world’s most sophisticated encryption protocols to ensure that no one has access to your data.” It therefore supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Its website and Instagram account are currently still operational.
The site also claims to have “integrated the world’s most sophisticated encryption protocols to ensure that no one has access to your data.”
“The users of ‘Exclu’ are to be attributed to organized crime and in particular drug trafficking,” the German federal police said. “The operators of the service are accused of helping their customers to commit these crimes (drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal possession of weapons and robbery) with a seemingly secure communication channel.”
The crackdown on Exclu follows the successful takedown of similar messaging apps such as EncroChat and Sky ECC in 2020 and 2021, which were also used by criminals of various stripes.