ITV Studios Announces First Wave Of International Sales For Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text

ITV Studios has announced the first wave of international sales for Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text.

The four-part top secret investigative series produced by The Garden, part of ITV Studios, for Channel 4 aired on Sunday 27 July.

Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text has been acquired by Seven Network in Australia, SVT in Sweden, DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland and Videoland for The Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Tom Clark, EVP Global Sales & Commercial Strategy, Global Partnerships at ITV Studios said: "We're excited to bring this premium access crime series from our new non-scripted slate to global audiences. Blending gripping behind-the-scenes access, first-hand insights and dramatic reconstructions of one of the biggest international law enforcement operations in history, this jaw-dropping series is set to grip audiences across the world."

From the makers of 24 Hours in Police Custody, Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text offers up a compelling mix of unfolding documentary and drama, taking us deep into the world of serious organised crime, 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.

In 2020, international police managed to secretly hack into an encrypted phone network used by organised crime groups around the world. Over a period of 74 days, the messages sent and received on 60,000 handsets were covertly captured and the investigation became one of the biggest ever international law enforcement operations (in history).

The story of this extraordinary operation is told from the inside, giving a unique insight into some of the highest-level global organised criminal groups and their crimes: violence, drugs, kidnap, money-laundering and murder. It reveals the shocking reality of three of the most significant organised crime groups who were exposed, and, in turn, bought down by their own text messages.

www.itv.com