An encrypted communication platform called Ghost, which was allegedly used to traffic drugs, launder money and order killings, has been dismantled.
The international operation led to the arrests of 51 people, including 38 in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Canada and one in Italy belonging to the Sacra Corona Unita mafia group, according to Europol.
Australian police said they had prevented 50 people from being killed, kidnapped or seriously hurt by monitoring threats among 125,000 messages and 120 video calls since March.
“We allege hundreds of criminals including Italian organised crime, motorcycle gang members, Middle Eastern organised crime and Korean organised crime have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illicit drugs and order killings,” said Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Ian McCartney.
A drug lab in the country was dismantled, while weapons, drugs, and over €1m (around £842,000) in cash were seized worldwide.
“This was truly a global game of cat and mouse, and today, the game is up,” Europol’s deputy executive director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe said.
The platform, which was used by thousands of people across the globe, gained popularity among criminal organisations for its advanced security features, with around 1,000 messages exchanged a day across the network.
Users could buy the tool anonymously with an option to send a message followed by a specific code which would result in the self-destruction of all messages on the target phone.
The app’s alleged administrator, Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, appeared in a Sydney court on Wednesday facing charges including supporting a criminal organisation and benefitting from proceeds of crime.
He has not yet entered pleas and will be held in custody until his next appearance in November.
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Police allege Jung developed the app specifically for criminal use in 2017, using a network of resellers to offer specialised handsets to criminals around the world.
‘Lifeline for serious organised crime’
The modified smartphones sold for AU$ 2,350 (around £1,200), which included a six-month subscription to Ghost and tech support.
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Europol’s executive director Catherine De Bolle called the platform “a lifeline for serious organised crime”.
“Today we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they can’t evade our collective effort,” she said.
The operation involved cooperation from authorities worldwide because servers were found in France and Iceland, while the company’s owners were located in Australia, and assets were discovered in the US.
It was conducted with the help of authorities from Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the US, as part of a broader commitment to combat global organised crime.
Europol says further disruption of illegal activities and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
