There is a lot of stress in Dubai, says a criminal source.

Sky ECC advertised itself on the website as 'the safest communication platform'.

To give that promise extra cachet, 5 million dollars was even awarded for who would succeed in cracking Sky. “That may have given people unjustified confidence,” says head of the Amsterdam police Jonne Janssen.

The fact that the service was offered on the latest smartphones contributed to its popularity. Where the old networks used Blackberries, Sky could be used on smartphones from Samsung and Apple. A subscription to Sky cost a little more than 2000 euros per year.