Director

In 2020, international police managed to secretly hack into an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups around the world.  

For 74 days, the messages sent and received on 60,000 handsets were covertly captured. It became one of the biggest international law enforcement operations in history.  

A brand new 4-part series, Dark Phone (w/t), tells the story of this extraordinary operation, giving a unique window into some of the highest-level global organised criminals and their crimes: violence, drugs, kidnap, money laundering and murder.

From the makers of 24 Hours in Police Custody, Dark Phone offers up a compelling mix of unfolding documentary and drama, taking us deep into the world of organised criminals as never seen before.   The series has unprecedented exclusive access to behind-the-scenes of Operation Venetic led by the National Crime Agency and the work of their policing partners across the UK and abroad.

Telling the story of the operation from the inside, the series will reveal the shocking reality of three of the world’s most significant organised crime groups who were exposed and, in turn, bought down by their own text messages.

Broadcast: 2025, Channel 4 - 4 x 1 hour

Garden Productions

Commissioner: Sacha Mirzoeff

Executive Producer: Simon Ford & Zac Beattie

Series Director: Luned Tonderai

Editors: Pawel Slawek & George Taylor

Production Executive: Sophie Campbell