The NCA’s lawyers told the court that the warrants were legitimate and said officers acted in good faith while working under intense pressure.
Accused of failing to consider laws protecting the privacy of “innocent users”, lawyers for the NCA told the tribunal that data linked to nearly 7,500 devices was examined by the NCA, but only 390 ( about 5 per cent) of the phones were not obviously being used by criminals.
The tribunal will rule in January 2023, with both sides expected to appeal if they lose. For the hundreds of suspects in prison, losing the case would mean continuing the long wait for a jury trial. For the NCA, losing the case would be a disaster, potentially leading to hundreds of criminal cases collapsing.
TNM will be covering the result and other developments as the Encrochat investigation continues.
You can see my explainer below on what Encrochat is all about. Follow on our socials @thenewsmovement for more.