Sky ECC chats reveal drug trafficking network with 13 tonnes of cocaine and corrupt police officer
Encrypted Sky ECC messages expose the network that brought Spain's largest cocaine seizure to date. A former head of the UDEF received millions in payment in exchange for protecting drug traffickers.
The Sky ECC messages that uncovered Spain's largest cocaine seizure
El Mundo has accessed the contents of conversations that the alleged head of an international drug trafficking network maintained through the encrypted messaging application Sky ECC, in which he gave instructions regarding drug shipments, prices and cocaine routes from Latin American ports to Spain.
The alleged leader of the organisation, identified as Ignacio T. D. and nicknamed Gucci by investigators, exchanged messages in which he described in detail how the drug arrived hidden amongst food products: "For now vegetables are arriving, carrots, squash and cabbage, and plantains. Soon we're going to start bringing pineapples again."
In other messages, Gucci shared images of applications for tracking cargo ships, photographs of gold-plated weapons and uncut cocaine plates bearing the CR7 seal. He also described recent sales: "Last week I sold 77 kilos of the apple brand. So you can see. And only because there wasn't any more!"
A former UDEF head on the payroll of drug traffickers
According to the statement from the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office, the network counted on Óscar Sánchez Gil, former head of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the Superior Police Headquarters of Madrid. The prosecutor attributes to him the creation of a "protection system" for members of the organisation in exchange for "substantial payments" that the officer allegedly concealed through companies, partnerships and cryptocurrencies.
In the Sky ECC messages, Gucci referred to the police officer as "Customs" or simply "my friend". In one of the audio recordings he explained his role clearly: "If it wasn't for my friend, we'd be screwed. My friend controls everything, that's the good thing about having Customs. If we didn't have backup, we'd be fucked."
According to the case being heard at Central Court number 1 of the National Court, Sánchez Gil's collaboration consisted of making queries in police databases to verify whether containers or members of the organisation were being investigated by other units, and if so, warning those involved.
20 million euros in cash hidden within the walls of his house
Óscar Sánchez Gil was arrested in early November 2024. During a search of his residence, investigators found 20 million euros in cash hidden within the walls. Since then he has been held in preventative custody.
Police enquiries have also documented numerous cash deposits in five family bank accounts. Despite maintaining a substantial bank balance, Sánchez Gil acquired a Range Rover vehicle, a garage space and a chalet in Denia (Alicante), which he underwent a complete renovation.
Spain's largest cocaine seizure
The network allegedly run by Ignacio T. D. is linked to Spain's largest cocaine seizure to date: 13 tonnes of the substance, with a purity of 91.1%, found hidden amongst bananas in a container seized at the port of Algeciras (Cádiz) in November 2024. The seizure is also among the largest recorded in Europe.
Collaboration with French authorities to obtain the messages
Prosecutor Francisco Javier Redondo López filed a criminal complaint with the National Court on 10 June 2024, in which he requested the interception of communications of 13 Sky ECC users, as well as those of Sánchez Gil and his wife, also under investigation and also a member of the National Police. In order to obtain data from the platform, the Prosecutor's Office had to request the collaboration of French judicial authorities.
Sky ECC is the successor to the EncroChat system, whose collapse made it possible to dismantle numerous criminal organisations throughout Europe. In his complaint, Redondo López stressed that the interception of communications of 13 people was a measure that "can only be ordered by the judicial authority", which is why he transferred the investigation to the judicial sphere.
New arrests in a case that remains partially under court secrecy
Part of the proceedings being heard at the National Court remain under court secrecy. Nevertheless, investigators have recently added two more arrested individuals to the case.
In one of the messages disclosed by El Mundo, Gucci revealed his operational profile: "If you put me with people, let it be good people. Don't let them be thieves or we have problems. I'm only asking you for that, let it be serious people, so we work well. What we don't want are problems from any direction."
Source: El Mundo