Australian police announced on Wednesday that they have successfully infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app designed for criminal use. This operation has resulted in the arrest of 38 suspects across four states in Australia, with additional arrests made in Canada, Sweden, Ireland, and Italy.
The alleged administrator of the app, a 32-year-old individual, appeared in a Sydney court facing charges related to supporting a criminal organization and benefiting from proceeds of crime. The administrator did not enter pleas and will remain in custody until the case returns to court in November.
Authorities revealed that hundreds of criminals, including members of Italian organized crime, motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern organized crime, and Korean organized crime, have utilized Ghost to facilitate activities such as drug trafficking and ordering hits.
Australian police, in collaboration with international law enforcement agencies, have been monitoring Ghost communications since March. This surveillance has reportedly prevented 50 individuals from being harmed or killed, with authorities analyzing over 125,000 messages and 120 video calls.
The app was allegedly developed specifically for criminal purposes in 2017, and Australian authorities joined a global task force led by Europol to target Ghost in 2022. French law enforcement provided technical resources that aided in decrypting the communications, allowing Australian police to access the content on devices used by criminals.
The administrator of Ghost, who lived in Sydney with no prior criminal record, was arrested at his residence. It was discovered that he operated a network of resellers who offered specialized handsets to criminals worldwide. These modified smartphones, sold for $1,590 each, included a six-month subscription to Ghost and technical support.
