Criminals in Frankfurt built their own messenger

Members of a criminal group who developed their own messenger to shield their activities from law enforcement agencies will appear in Frankfurt court. 

According to the prosecution, between 2020 and 2023, the group was involved in the smuggling and sale of more than 880 kilograms of drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, with a total value exceeding 10 million euros.

To coordinate their operations, the criminals used the SkyECC, Hades, and Enigma messengers. However, after law enforcement agencies gained access to their correspondence, they turned to programmers to create their own secure application, which was named “Fake-WhatsApp”. The drugs were stored in rented apartments in Frankfurt and distributed from there across Germany, as well as to Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

The leader of the criminal group is a 53-year-old man who oversaw the purchase and sale of drugs and provided members with specialised communication equipment. 

Other members of the gang included couriers who transported tens of kilograms of cocaine across various regions of Europe. Currently, 17 out of 33 suspects have been arrested, while seven other participants are already serving prison sentences in Croatia, Italy, and Switzerland.