Midnight Operation in the North Sea
Sometime after⤠midnight on May 26, 2020, a sleek black-and-white speedboat darted through the waves off the coast âof Sweden. âThe two â˘men on board were heading âtoward a set of coordinates in the darkness, equipped with navigation tools, âŁnight vision goggles, and fishing rods. The Donousa, a black and red, 225-meter-long cargo ship, was stationary in the water about 17 kilometers ahead.
Courtesy of PublicAffairs/Perseus Book LLC/Hachetteâ Book Group
Unplanned Stop and High-Stakes Cargo
On â˘its⤠journey âŁfrom Brazil to⣠Poland, the Donousa made an unofficial stop in the North â¤Sea. Corrupt âsailors⣠were preparing toâ offloadâ nets containing 400 kilograms â¤of cocaine. The men on the speedboat âwere part of a larger operation, communicating via encryptedâ Skyâ phones, which were âdesigned â¤to send secureâ messages⣠and could be wiped remotely if necessary.
Challenges and Missteps
Despite⢠the advanced technology, the operation faced several âhiccups. âThe speedboat initially docked at the â¤wrong location, and the packages of cocaine were so large that they struggled to fit them into theâ van. At theâ warehouse, tensions rose as â˘the courier and⢠the speedboat â˘pilot,â who barely spoke Swedish, âclashed while verifying the cocaine.
Missing Cocaine and Rising Tensions
As the courier staged âphotographs of the cocaine for his bosses, they⢠discoveredâ that âaboutâ 70â kilograms were missing.â The pilot eventually â¤confessed that some of the cocaineâ had been lost at sea when the duffleâ bags broke open. The courier,â under immense pressure, asked theâ bosses to stop bombarding them with messages so they âcould think clearly.
Photo Evidence and Final Resolution
The courier and theâ pilot continued to send photographs toâ their â¤bosses, showing the cocaine bricks and empty duffle⢠bags. After two hours â˘of this bizarre photo shoot, âŁthe bosses decided toâ treat the lossâ as a cost of⤠doing business. The mastermind finally congratulated his team on the haul.
âGood job, everyone,â he texted in the group chat.
The Mastermind: Maximilian Rivkin
The mastermind behind this operation⣠was Maximilian Rivkin, also known as Microsoft.⢠A Swedish gangster originally from Serbia, Microsoft was âa technologically savvy drug kingpin. Heâ communicated in âmultiple languages and was⤠always online, sending⤠encrypted messages nearly every moment of⤠hisâ waking life.
Innovative Smuggling Techniques
Microsoft had numerous schemes for trafficking drugs, including hiding hash inside furniture, â˘cocaine âinside tiles, â˘and even âŁamong shipments of tulips. He controlled⤠various legitimate businesses,⢠such as⢠a timber company in Belgium and a vegetable company, to facilitate his⣠smuggling operations.
Staying in His Lane
Despite his extensive criminal activities,⢠Microsoft knew his limits. When someone suggestedâ he get into trading âŁgold,â he declined, saying heâ only dealt with what he knewâsmuggling drugs and using encrypted phones⣠to maintain a network of contacts in the criminal underworld.
A Volatile Personality
Microsoft was known for his⤠volatile moods. During a trip to âCartagena, Colombia, heâ went on a drug-fueled âŁrampage through the Hyatt Regency, throwing furniture out of a smashed window. His outburst âwas âso dangerous that the hotel âand aâ nearby supermarket were evacuated. Colombian authorities later⣠expelled him from the country.
### The Rise and Fall of Anøm: A Global Sting Operation
The Unpredictable Microsoft
Microsoft, a notorious â¤figure in the⣠criminalâ underworld, was known forâ his erratic⣠behavior. He could switch from threatening violence to congratulating his drug gang in anâ instant. A⢠colleague once joked that Microsoft had seven different âpersonalities, âeach with its own âencrypted phone. He carried⣠two Sky â¤phones and even dealt encrypted phones himself,â persuading other criminals to join him on Sky. Microsoft also used Anøm,â a rival encrypted âphone service.
Operation â¤Trojan Shield
The FBI had a⢠secret: they controlled Anøm, a honeypot more effective âthan âEncroChat. âUnder the code name Operation Trojanâ Shield, the â˘FBI managed Anøm, intercepting messages between criminals.⣠The operation began in 2018 after the⢠FBI shut down Phantom Secure, another encrypted phone company. This created a market⤠vacuum, and a Phantom Secure distributor named Afgoo saw anâ opportunity.
Afgoo’s â˘Offer
Afgoo, on theâ verge of âŁstarting âhis own encrypted â˘phone⣠service, approached theâ FBI with an offer. In exchange for a reduced sentence, heâ would âgive âŁthe FBI control of his new startup, Anøm. Theâ FBI and the Australian Federal âPolice, who had helped take down Phantom Secure, acceptedâ the⤠offer. They built a âbackdoor into Anøm’s â˘encryption and ran âa beta test in â¤Australia.⢠Every beta âtesterâ used the phones forâ criminal activities, and the police intercepted all communications.
Global Expansion
Anøm’s âword-of-mouth marketing helped it grow, especially in Europe. The FBI began learning about drug shipments âand âassassination â¤attempts in other countries and shared tips withâ foreign law â¤enforcement. As Anøm’s⤠userâ base grew, the âFBI gave âsome foreign partners direct access to Anøm’s messages through aâ surveillance system called âHola iBot.⢠Sweden was one of the â˘countries that joined the⢠operation.
“Iâ just âŁwanted to scream out to all my colleagues,” Esplund later saidâto shout his admiration for⤠what the⢠Americans had pulled âŁoff.
Sweden’sâ Involvement
Sweden’s police â˘set upâ a secure room where Esplund’s team â˘worked around the â˘clock,â eavesdropping on Anøm messages. They⤠recreated a miniature version of the FBI’sâ San Diego wiretap rooms. The team â¤became familiar withâ Anøm’s biggestâ booster in Sweden â¤and his new schemes.
The Amphetamine Lab
Microsoft’s latestâ project âwas âanâ amphetamine lab in the⤠basement of a cottage in the Swedish countryside. The house, intended as a vacation rental, was in a state of mid-renovation. Theâ basement⤠lab contained equipment for cooking â¤speed, including a â˘machine â˘for â˘pressing amphetamine into blocks andâ a dough â˘mixer likely stolen from a bakery. The lab represented a significant advancement in Microsoft’s drug empire.
ILLUSTRATION: ALVARO DOMINGUEZ
Suspicious Neighbors
Lars*, a neighbor, often watchedâ the men living in the cottage âthrough âŁhisâ curtains. The men rarely used the âfront âŁdoor, preferring the basement entrance. Locals noticed strange behaviors, like digging and coveringâ holes repeatedly and washing vehicles frequently. One man, Pawel Brzozowiec, mowed the lawn erratically and always wore shorts and a T-shirt, even⢠in the cold.
Conclusion
The âŁAnøm operation⢠was a groundbreaking sting that allowed law enforcement to monitor⤠criminal activities globally. The FBI’s control of Anøm and the cooperation⤠of international partners like Sweden led to âsignificant breakthroughs in combating organized crime.
Editor’s Note: Names marked with an â˘asterisk (*) in âthis story have been changed to âprotect people from retaliation by organized crime or law enforcement. Maximilian Rivkin (Microsoft) andâ Hakanâ Ayik have been charged with numerous crimes detailed in this story, but⢠remain unconvicted âŁat time of publication.⣠Other named individuals who are⣠described as being involved in Microsoft’s drug⢠enterprises have âbeen convicted.###â The Firm: A Deep â¤Dive into a Narcotics â¤Empire
Introduction
Microsoft,⢠a notorious figure in the ânarcotics world, expanded his operations from smuggling âŁand distribution to manufacturing⤠amphetamines. His⤠ambition⣠was⣠to ship his lab’s product as far asâ Australia once âproduction was optimized.
The Firm’s Key Players
Microsoft and Hisâ Associates
Microsoft was not alone in his endeavors. âHe was part of a four-person âgroupâ known âŁas âŁthe Firm, which collectively had 50 years of prison experience. The âmembers included:
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Tommy Bogebrink (Mr. Lansky or Zedd): âA â¤university-educated business lawyer and trained âsea captain, Bogebrink handled accounting âand sales on⢠the dark web. â¤He was the stabilizing force against Microsoft’s erratic behavior.
“You âmust not letâ him stress you. He is⣠not well.”
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Alexander Jovanovic (Soko): An aging gangster who had known Microsoft since childhood. âHe was convinced âto come out of retirement to help with Anøm and was deeply involved in running the amphetamine lab.
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MK: Aâ mysterious figure whose identity âwas unknown even⢠to Bogebrink⤠and âJovanovic. Each member owned 25% âofâ the Firm, but Microsoft âsaw itâ as his company.
Operations and Communication
Anøm: The Backbone of Operations
The Firm⣠used Anøm, an encrypted communication platform, for all theirâ activities. They had dedicated âgroup chats for different aspects of their operations, including:
- Oil Chat: For organizing the transport of amphetamine oil.
- Courier and Getaway Drivers:â Managed by Jakub âWalczak,⢠who â¤oversaw lab operations.
Microsoft coordinatedâ sales across Sweden, directing drop-offs in various locations via Anøm. Buyers provided carâ details, and couriers placedâ the âamphetamine in the⤠cars withoutâ seeing â˘each other.
Expansion and Challenges
Global Ambitions
Microsoft aimed toâ scale his⣠drug lab’s production toâ export to Australia, where profits would be significantly higher. By December, the lab could produce⢠over a ton of amphetamine a âmonth. Microsoft was in contact â˘with â¤major globalâ players, âplanning to import â˘more oil and âexpand their âmarket reach.
The Role of Anøm Phones
The Firm â˘was a major user and seller â˘of Anøm phones. Jovanovic actively collaborated in distributing these devices, pitching them asâ investments toâ high-ranking criminals. This strategy helped⢠Anøm gain recognition in Europe.
Law⢠Enforcement’s Perspective
The Police’s New Insight
Before â˘Anøm,⢠Swedish police had no knowledge of the Firm. The âŁplatform provided them â¤with unprecedented insight into organized crime. They âdiscovered that criminals had used Anøm to âplan and execute an assassination in Stockholm,â known as ⢔the Bridge.”
Constant Threats and Violence
Microsoft’s erratic behavior made law enforcement’s job difficult. âHe⤠frequently discussed violent plans, âincluding killing,⣠kidnapping, andâ bombing. His â¤threats were⤠a constant source of concern for the police.
“Sadly we have toâ be violent too so people see that we go all the way. âIt has to be Mexico style on⤠all of them.”
Conclusion
Microsoft’s ambitions and âthe Firm’s operations were extensive and complex, involving a ânetwork of associates andâ sophisticated â˘use of technology. However, their activities eventually âcame under⣠the scrutiny â˘of law enforcement, leading to⢠their downfall.
6 Comments
Was it really necessary to go that big?
Is it just me, or does that sound like the plot of a Hollywood movie?
Imagine the paperwork!
Were the criminals completely blindsided or what!
Victoria Hayes: If movies are based on real events, this is the proof!
Ever thought about whether they exaggerated the whole thing?