Met Police: 420 criminals jailed and 3 tonnes of drugs seized in force’s largest operation into criminal gangs

More than 420 criminals have been jailed and three tonnes of illegal drugs seized in the last three and half years from intelligence gleaned from encrypted phones used by criminals, the Met Police has said.

Operation Eternal is Scotland Yard’s largest ever operation, targeting members of organised crime groups who used encrypted Encrochat devices to organise multi-kilo drug deals, launder money, and orchestrate violence.

Encrochat was one of the world’s largest encrypted communication services estimated to have had 60,000 users across Europe, including 10,000 UK users.

The encrypted messaging system first came to the attention of police forces after French authorities said it was regularly finding the phones when conducting operations against organised crime gangs.

Operation Eternal was launched in March 2020 after Encrochat data was accessed by French law enforcement, and the National Crime Agency (NCA) passed this data - relating to hundreds of London-based EncroChat handles – to the Met.

Scotland Yard said the operation has disrupted the running of organised crime groups and seen prosecution brought against those criminals who play a role in getting illegal drugs and firearms into the hands of London gang members and dealers.

Since Operation Eternal launched in 2020, the force said it has arrested 942 “top tier criminals” and seized over £19 million in cash, three tonnes of class A and B drugs and 49 guns, and 755 pieces of ammunition.

A total of 784 people have been charged with a range of offences – predominantly drugs possession with intent/supply/conspiracy to supply, but also firearms, money laundering, and violence offences, while 426 have been convicted.

Commander Paul Brogden, who leads the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Op Eternal is the most significant operation targeting organised crime figures in the Met’s history.

“The suspects in these investigations are dangerous criminals, many of whom play a key role in supplying kilos of drugs to street gangs whose activities blight and cause misery in communities across London.

“Every dangerous criminal jailed, and every gun and amount of drugs taken off the street as part of Operation Eternal has served to make neighbourhoods in and around the capital safer.”

Scotland Yard said Operation Eternal gave police unique access to senior members of organised criminal networks who were either previously operating out of reach of police, or the extent of their offending was not known.

The Met said some of these figures led lavish lifestyles, lived in multi-million pound properties and drove top-of-the-range cars. And many are now serving jail sentences.

Commander Brogden added: “Op Eternal investigations have been supported by officers and staff from all corners of the Met, and it is testament to their skill and dedication that this operation has been so successful.

“Our Operation Eternal caseload remains significant, and many more cases are being progressed behind the scenes.

“We still have specialist teams working to attribute Encrochat handles to people; we are still making arrests regularly; and we still have more to do.

“Our message to criminals who operate on EncroChat and haven’t yet been visited by police is clear; we won’t stop until we have investigated all EncroChat handles, and it is only a matter of time before we knock on your door and arrest you.”

The NCA’s operation is called “Operation Venetic”.

Craig Turner, NCA Deputy Director of Investigations, said: “Operation Venetic has resulted in remarkable achievements across UK law enforcement.

“We are really proud to have led the operation in what was a watershed moment in the fight against serious and organised crime.

“The infiltration of EncroChat provided a gold mine of intelligence which through officers’ monumental efforts, was transformed into evidence enabling thousands of arrests to happen. There has been nothing like it.

“The NCA and partners in policing do everything possible to protect the public from the most dangerous organised criminals in the UK and beyond.”