A Cheshire Police officer appeared on trial today on charges of organized crime.
Natalie Mottram, a police intelligence analyst, denied involvement in corruption related to Encrochat, a notorious criminal communications network.
Warrington-based Mottram denied claims that she accessed classified information on police computers.
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The 22-year-old was seconded to the North West Regional Organized Crime Unit (ROCU) when the investigation began last June.
The Warrington woman denied four cases of unauthorized access to computer material and one case of perversion of justice at a hearing in Liverpool Crown Court this morning, the Liverpool Echo reported.
Jonathan Kay, who is also charged, failed to show up today after complications with a positive Covid-19 test and will be making a plea later this month.
His partner Leah Bennett, 36 like Kay, and both of Newark Drive, Great Sankey, Warrington, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
Kay was charged with perverting the course of justice and, on two counts, failing to comply with a notification under Section 49 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
In the alert sent to EncroChat customers on June 12, the company found that they had been hacked
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A trial is scheduled to take place in June next year and is expected to take two weeks.
All three defendants were released on bail.
It is alleged that Mottram, along with other information, disclosed that law enforcement agencies could access encrypted EncroChat data during the Europe-wide Operation Venetic.
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She was suspended from work.
Mottram, of Vermont Close, Great Sankey, was arrested by National Crime Agency officials as part of an investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Bureau.
Operation Venetic, led by the NCA, exposed an alleged “insider threat” perpetrated by a number of namesake in positions of responsibility.
Venetic was the UK’s largest organized crime investigation to date, uncovering significant links to high-level gun and drug offenses.
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A massive investigation last year resulted in the first 746 arrests across Europe, the breaking up of entire high-ranking gangs, £ 54 million in criminal cash, and 77 weapons and two tons of drugs – when the hack went public.
Criminal bosses and their employees used EncroChat, a secure instant messaging service for cell phones, to avoid detection.
But an international law enforcement team cracked the company’s encryption.
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