Drug traffickers caught with FBI's "anonymous" chat app sentenced to 8 years in prison

Several suspected members of a drug gang were convicted and sentenced to jail times of up to eight years and a month in Zwolle on Tuesday. The suspects were caught because the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States was able to read their messages in real time.

The suspects communicated with each other through the messaging app ANOM, which was created in 2018 as a successor to two encrypted message services which were infiltrated earlier, EncroChat and Sky ECC.

Users did not know that ANOM was actually being controlled by the American investigation service. They informed the Dutch authorities about the gang’s activities from the evidence collected.

The messages showed that the group had various transport routes to smuggle cocaine from South America to Europe. Around 10 kilograms of cocaine was transported.

The most severe punishment went to Guiliano A. (53) from Geertruidenberg and 61-year-old Ron H. from Zeewolde. Guiliano A. was accused of maintaining contact with the cocaine barons in South America, while Ron H. spoke with accomplices at the port of Hamburg.

The cocaine was transported in containers filled with bananas. An accomplice rejected the containers in question at the ripening facility of banana producer Dole in Hamburg so that their contents could be transferred elsewhere.

The gang carried out two test shipments from Ecuador and Colombia to the port of Hamburg, according to prosecutors. However, only the first shipment of 10 kilograms of cocaine found hidden between bananas was proven, the court ruled.

Five other suspects were given lesser punishments. Prosecutors recommended nine years in prison against the two main suspects. They were able to await the verdict in their case in freedom. After the verdict was read, Ron H. and two fellow suspects were placed in custody. Guiliano A. was not present in at court on Tuesday..