Following an intercontinental police operation involving an allegedly organized criminal-related American encrypted communications platform, police have made numerous arrests.
In response to an global investigation into the Ghost encrypted messaging platform, over 700 police in Australia participated in raids and searches. More police raids took place in Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Canada.
The latest incident to target encrypted messaging services, known as criminally dedicated communications services ( CDCS), is one that criminal organizations have long preferred.
The FBI-run Anom ( also known as An0m ), which was provided to criminal gangs in a sting operation until 2021, follows police operations to break into the EncroChat and Sky ECC phone networks in 2020.
Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the US have collaborated in the operation to investigate legal users of Ghost.
The Australian Federal Police ( AFP ) said last night it had undertaken a significant operation across New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, codenamed Kraken, targeting users of Ghost.
According to the statement,” AFP Operation Kraken is targeting alleged organized criminals who are accused of using a covert platform to import illegal drugs and plot another major crimes in Australia and around the world”
The alleged creator of the Ghost encrypted messaging platform is being detained by Asian police.
A 32-year-old man from New South Wales has been charged by the American police force for creating and administering Ghost.
The AFP claims that Ghost was used in Australia to sell weapons, bribe money, order murders, or avert major violence.
Up to 50 Australians face charges and substantial prison sentences for trafficking drugs, money laundering, ordering killings or significant violence.
Rent-a-ghost
For about A$ 2350, ghost phones were sold, and included a six-month subscription to an encrypted network, technical support, and a network of resellers.
Ghost’s smart and device apps claim to provide users with “military grade encryption” for voice calls and messaging services.
In the event that a phone is lost or stolen, the application includes a “duress password,” which enables users to quickly delete their delicate communications and messages, as well as a capability to electronically wipe sensitive data.
Additional features include group chats that can be set to self-destruct with a timer, leaving no record on the recipients ‘ devices, a “purge function” to wipe all chat history from recipient’s devices, and private group chats.
Police have charged the 32-year-old, described by detectives as a” computer geek”, who is alleged to be the administrator of the service, with five offences.
They include supporting a fugitive organisation, dealing with the proceeds of a criminal offence, and dealing in information to commit fraud.
Restraining orders have even been obtained for suspected legal assets, including bank accounts and cryptocurrencies.
Police in Australia have executed 71 search warrants, made 38 arrests, seized 25 firearms and prevented the distribution of more than 200kg of illegal drugs.
Hacking operation
Ghost has been in operation for nine years and was the subject of 2022-level foreign police inquiries.
Europol established a global taskforce, codenamed Operational Task Force ( OTF ) Next, led by the FBI and the French Gendarmerie.
Organization of the fugitive network centered on the Ghost messaging platform’s encryption
By breaking into the administration computers and using them to push sick software updates to Ghost devices, the AFP managed to infect the device with the assistance of French crypto experts.
The operation allowed law enforcement to read and access the contents of allegedly encrypted communications in order to identify judicial users.
According to some, criminals moved to Ghost after police destroyed the Anom cryptophone app, an FBI-run sting operation, in June 2021.
According to AFP deputy commissioner Ian McCartney, Operation Kraken had made it possible for American police to identify and stop 50 life threats.
A tool that was a lifeline for major organized crime has been destroyed by law enforcement from nine countries, along with Europol.Catherine De Bolle, Europol
” We allege hundreds of criminals, including European organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gang members, Middle Eastern organised crime and Vietnamese organised crime, have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illegal drugs and order killings”, he said.
The head of France’s National Cyber Command Technical Department, Florian Manet, said the unit provided technological resources focused on encryption and decryption to the taskforce.
” A complex solution was implemented over several years, which, at term, enabled the taskforce to access the communications of users on this protected platform”, he said.
Catherine De Bolle, senior director of Europol, said the operation demonstrated that criminals cannot hide from their own collective efforts by law enforcement.
“A tool that was a lifeline for major organized crime has been destroyed by law enforcement from nine countries, along with Europol.,” she said.
Other members of Europol’s Operational Task Force include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Swedish Police Authority, the Dutch National Police, the British Garda Síochána and the European Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Service. The Icelandic police likewise provided assistance.
