Marseille: gang leader Karim Harrat tried for murder following Sky ECC dismantling
According to challenges.fr, Marseille network boss Karim Harrat is to be tried for the murder of a rival. His downfall stems from the decryption of the Sky ECC messaging application used by traffickers.
Gang leader arrested thanks to hacking of criminal messaging service
Karim Harrat, alleged leader of an international drug trafficking network operating from Marseille, will appear on 19 October for the murder of the brother of the city's deputy mayor. According to challenges.fr, the decryption of the Sky ECC application, an encrypted communications platform favoured by drug traffickers, enabled investigators to trace him and other network leaders.
The 38-year-old gang leader, who operated under the pseudonyms "Diego Costa" and "Rant", was based in Dubai and controlled several northern districts of Marseille. In early 2024, he was convicted of the murder of a competitor alongside an alleged DZ Mafia leader, as well as for importing cannabis and cocaine. Harrat is currently detained at Vendin-le-Vieil high-security prison in Pas-de-Calais.
Twenty-eight people linked to this trafficking network are expected to appear before Paris court next year. The dismantling of the network reflects the growing importance of decrypting encrypted communications in criminal investigations against major international traffickers. The Sky ECC application, once considered a safe tool for organised crime, ultimately yielded to judicial investigation techniques.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)