Britain's biggest ever crime bust: 'The Wire'-style sting foils snares 746 kingpins and 200 gangland hits, seizes £54M in cash and two tonnes of drugs after police smash 'impenetrable' secret phone network used across the world
Encrypted EncroChat system was smashed revealing thousands of messages from criminals and their plots Detectives combed the communications to identify and target suspects who believed their secrets were safe Members of the most dangerous Organised Crime Network in London among those hit in the raids Many of the crooks had posed in plain sight as respectable businessmen but hid secret life of criminality Raids across the UK found £54million of dirty cash including Met's largest ever single haul of £5million National Crime Agency worked with European forces to crack phone system then shared data with police Metropolitan Commissioner Cressida Dick called it the most significant of career against organised crime