Australian police have successfully infiltrated the encrypted communications app Ghost, leading to the arrest of 38 individuals across four states and the disruption of various criminal networks. The alleged mastermind, Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, has been charged with supporting a criminal organization and profiting from criminal activities, and he will remain in custody until his next court appearance in November. The app has been used by various criminal groups for illegal drug importation and violent acts. Since March, police have monitored over 125,000 messages and 120 video calls, preventing 50 potential incidents of serious harm. Jung developed the Ghost app in 2017 for criminal enterprises, and a global task force targeting it began in 2022, involving agencies such as the FBI and RCMP. Jung allegedly operated a network providing specialized smartphones to criminals, priced at 2,350 Australian dollars, which included a subscription to Ghost.
Law enforcement agencies from multiple countries executed an operation that dismantled Ghost, an encrypted messaging service used by criminal organizations, resulting in 51 arrests and the confiscation of over .1 million in assets. The alleged creator and administrator of Ghost, a 32-year-old Australian citizen, was among those arrested. The operation led by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), in collaboration with international agencies, also resulted in the shutdown of a drug lab in Australia and the seizure of weapons and narcotics.
Ghost was developed nine years ago and marketed exclusively to criminals, allowing secure communication via modified mobile phones sold for about ,350. The app featured advanced security measures, including self-destructing messages and multiple encryption standards. It facilitated communications for large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering, with around 1,000 messages exchanged daily. Law enforcement began investigating Ghost in 2022, leading to a task force that identified key suppliers and users.
The operation, conducted between September 17 and 18, resulted in 38 arrests in Australia, 11 in Ireland, and one each in Canada and Italy. The alleged mastermind faces multiple criminal charges. Ongoing law enforcement actions against encrypted messaging services are causing a shift in criminal communication strategies, leading to a fragmented messaging landscape and presenting challenges for law enforcement.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched Operation Kraken, mobilizing up to 700 officers for coordinated raids targeting a 32-year-old man, Jay Je Yoon Jung, alleged to have created an encrypted communication platform called 'Ghost' used by organized crime. The operation involved pre-dawn raids, with a focus on Jung's residence in Narwee, Sydney, where flashbangs were used. Jung faces serious charges, including supporting a criminal organization and dealing in identification information. The Ghost app, marketed as 'tamper-proof', attracted criminal clients such as the Hell's Angels. The AFP has monitored over 125,000 messages on the platform, resulting in 46 arrests and the prevention of 50 threats to life. They seized over 210 kilograms of illicit drugs, 26 weapons, and million in cash during the operation. The AFP's technical team developed methods to access devices linked to Ghost, enabling them to gather real-time intelligence. Operation Kraken follows the successful Operation Ironside against another encrypted messaging platform, ANOM, enhancing the AFP's capability to combat organized crime and share intelligence internationally.
Australian and international police have dismantled an encrypted communications platform called "Ghost," used by criminal gangs for drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent crimes. The operation resulted in 51 arrests, with 38 in Australia. The servers of Ghost were located in France and Iceland, and its creators were identified in Australia, with financial ties to the U.S. The primary suspect, a 32-year-old Australian citizen, was arrested for creating and administering Ghost since its launch in 2017. Users acquired modified smartphones for approximately 2,350 Australian dollars, which included a six-month subscription and tech support. Europol estimates thousands of individuals used Ghost, exchanging around 1,000 messages daily. Law enforcement infiltrated the network in spring 2022, enabling them to prevent numerous violent incidents and save 50 potential victims. The operation involved nine countries and led to the dismantling of a drug lab in Australia, as well as the seizure of weapons, drugs, and over €1 million in cash.
Australian law enforcement infiltrated the encrypted communications app "Ghost," linked to organized crime, resulting in 38 arrests across four states and additional arrests in Canada, Sweden, Ireland, and Italy. Jay Je Yoon Jung, the 32-year-old suspected administrator of Ghost, faced charges in a Sydney court and remains in custody. The app, created in 2017, was used by various criminal groups for secure communication and has been associated with drug importation and orchestrated killings. Since March, authorities monitored 125,000 messages and 120 video calls through Ghost, preventing 50 potential incidents of serious crime. Australia's collaboration with a Europol-led task force began in 2022, and French authorities provided technical resources to decrypt communications. Australian police further compromised Ghost by altering software updates, allowing access to content on devices within Australia. Jung allegedly managed a network of resellers, selling modified smartphones with Ghost for 2,350 Australian dollars, which included a subscription and technical support.
An international sting operation has dismantled the encrypted messaging app 'Ghost', used by criminals for drug trafficking, money laundering, and murders. Jay Je Yoon Jung, a 32-year-old Australian, is suspected of being the app's mastermind. The operation involved police forces from nine countries and was coordinated by Europol, resulting in numerous arrests in Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, and Australia. The Ghost app was developed nearly a decade ago and marketed as 'unhackable', requiring modified smartphones and a subscription for access. Australian police infiltrated the app's network in 2022, monitoring communications for two years and thwarting violent plots, including 50 death threats. Authorities seized weapons, drugs, and over one million euros in cash, with a significant drug trafficking route disrupted in Ireland where narcotics worth approximately 16 million euros were confiscated. Jung, apprehended in New South Wales, faces five charges, including supporting a criminal organization, and could receive a prison sentence of up to three years.
A 32-year-old Australian, suspected of developing the Ghost app—an encrypted messaging platform used for illicit activities by criminals worldwide—was recently arrested. The app, marketed as "unhackable," attracted users from various regions, unaware their communications were monitored. A coordinated international law enforcement operation led to multiple arrests in nine countries, including Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, and Australia, and dismantled a drug lab in Australia, seizing weapons, drugs, and cash. French police traced the app's creator, who was arrested after police hijacked software updates to gain access to encrypted messages. Over two years, law enforcement intercepted thousands of messages, including 50 death threats, and noted the app had about 1,000 messages exchanged daily among several thousand users globally. The creator, lacking a criminal history and motivated by profit, has been charged with five offenses and denied bail, awaiting further court proceedings alongside others arrested.
Wilson Guzman, Jr., aged 40, has been sentenced to three years in prison for drug dealing. He used Telegram to distribute counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Guzman operated out of West Haven and North Haven, conducting in-person transactions and shipments via U.S. mail. From June to August 2023, investigators purchased over 1,000 counterfeit pills. He was arrested on September 6, 2023, after a search of his residence, where authorities seized methamphetamine pills, Xanax pills, psilocybin mushrooms, and approximately 20 kilograms of marijuana, along with two unregistered firearms. His bond was revoked due to continued drug dealings, and he pleaded guilty on May 20.
Telegram Messenger is under investigation in Eagle County for drug distribution to minors. CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France on charges of facilitating drug trafficking, fraud, and distributing child sex abuse images via the platform. The case involves Kathya Saenz-Hernandez, who received a 16-year suspended imposition sentence for selling drugs to minors through her Telegram account. The investigation began in March 2022 after a mother reported her child's drug use linked to Telegram. Evidence revealed a channel where various drugs, including marijuana and LSD, were sold. Saenz-Hernandez was arrested on September 26, 2023, and pled guilty to distributing a controlled substance to a minor, receiving a suspended sentence with probation conditions.
