By Teodoro Falchetta. Sub-edited by Tim Forster
This four part Channel 4 documentary offers an unprecedented glimpse into the minds and crimes of Europe’s criminal elite. It tells the story of how international police were able to hack ‘EncroChat’, an encrypted phone network used by criminals worldwide. Whilst the rest of the world was in Covid lockdown, police forces from across Europe were monitoring thousands of encrypted messages in real time, detailing a wide range of criminal activity from drug trafficking to murder.
“Operation Dark Phone’ is a docu-drama, utilising dramatised footage of actors and interviews to propel the narrative. However, the most compelling source of information is the encrypted messages themselves, giving the viewer an intimate look into the psyche of a career criminal.
What is striking is how sloppy these criminals become on their phones, indicative of just how much they trusted the technology. The documentary starts by telling the story of British criminal Jamie Rothwell, known by his EncroChat handle ‘livelong’. He is hiding out in Spain, already wanted for a range of offences. The messages start innocuously enough, with him using the network to message a fellow criminal a picture of his breakfast. It seems at first his only crime is putting cucumber on porridge. Things quickly take a darker turn when he offers £15,000 to throw ‘acid’ into his rivals ‘hands and face’. This combination of the mundane and the horrific sets the tone for the rest of the series.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe interviews are dominated by law enforcement officials from Britain and Holland involved in the case. They give insight into how an investigation of this magnitude works, and just how much work goes into catching these criminals. However, they also shed light on some uncomfortable truths regarding police corruption. At one stage, a leak within Britain’s National Crime Agency threatens to derail the whole investigation.
One drawback with relying so heavily on police interviews is that the documentary presents the investigation in an almost entirely positive light. There is no mention of privacy concerns and how governments were essentially spying on people’s private messages. A more nuanced view could have included interviews with members of one of the many organisations, such as Fair Trials, that raised legal and ethical concerns about the investigation.
Despite this lack of nuance, Operation Dark Phone is still a gripping portrayal of a unique investigation.
Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text is currently available on All4