Matrix was an
instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of synchronous computer-mediated communication involving the immediate ( real-time) transmission of messages between two or more parties over the Internet or another computer network. Originally involv ...
(IM) and communications network that was shut down by cooperation between Dutch and French police in December 2024.
It was also known by the names Mactrix, Totalsec, X-Quantum and Q-Safe.
History
Dutch police discovered the network while investigating the murder of Peter de Vries in 2021.[
A joint task force involving Dutch and French police was formed, with 2.3 million messages in 33 languages intercepted.][ Police forces in ]Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
were also involved.[ ]Europol
Europol, officially the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU). Established in 1998, it is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and serves as the central hub for coordinating c ...
and Eurojust coordinated the investigation.
Infrastructure
The service operated on around 40 servers throughout Europe and had about 8000 users.[ Users paid between $1350 and $1700 in cryptocurrency for a ]Google Pixel
Google Pixel is a brand of portable Consumer electronics, consumer electronic devices developed by Google that run either ChromeOS or the Pixel version of the Android (operating system), Android operating system. The main line of Pixel products ...
handset and six months subscription to the service.[
]
Seizures and arrests
Simultaneous raids and searches took place on 3 December 2024 in four countries, leading to the arrest of five suspects in Spain and France, the shutdown of 40 servers in France and Germany, the seizure of 970 encrypted phones, €145,000 in cash, €500,000 in cryptocurrency and four vehicles.[ A 52-year-old Lithuanian man who was arrested is believed to be the primary owner and operator.][
A 30-year-old Dutch man who used the app was arrested - he is suspected of smuggling cocaine in 2020.][
]
Closure
Users of the network were informed of it closing by a splash screen.
See also
* Operation Trojan Shield - a sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a rol ...
to intercept messages from criminals via the AN0M app
* EncroChat
EncroChat was a Europe-based communications network and service provider that offered modified smartphones allowing encrypted communication among subscribers. It was used primarily by organized crime members to plan criminal activities. Polic ...
– a network infiltrated by law enforcement to investigate organized crime
Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
in Europe
* Ennetcom – a network seized by Dutch authorities, who used it to make arrests
* Sky Global – a communications network and service provider based in Vancouver, Canada
References
{{reflist
Anonymity networks
Cyberspace
Dark web
Defunct darknet markets
Distributed computing architecture
End-to-end encryption
File sharing
Internet architecture
Internet culture
Network architecture
Law enforcement operations in France
Crime in the Netherlands