A global sting operation has dismantled an encrypted messaging app, ‘Ghost’, allegedly used by hundreds of criminals worldwide for drug trafficking, money laundering, and orchestrating murders.
Authorities arrested a 32-year-old Australian, Jay Je Yoon Jung, on suspicion of creating the app, which police said was marketed as ‘unhackable’ to underworld figures across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The international operation, involving police forces from nine countries, was coordinated by Europol. Europol’s deputy executive director, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, described it as a global game of cat and mouse that ended with the arrest of criminals in countries including Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, and Australia.
The Ghost app, developed nine years ago, could only be accessed through modified smartphones that sold for around $1,590 and required a subscription. However, in 2022, Australian police gained access to the app’s network by hijacking software updates, allowing them to monitor encrypted communications for two years.
During this time, authorities foiled numerous violent plots, including 50 death threats. Police also intercepted an image of a gun held to someone’s head and were able to rescue the individual within an hour.
Globally, law enforcement seized weapons, drugs, and over one million euros in cash. In Ireland, police disrupted a major drug trafficking route and confiscated drugs worth approximately 16 million euros.
This sting is reminiscent of ANOM, another encrypted platform created by the FBI, which led to 800 arrests in 2021. After ANOM’s takedown, Ghost gained popularity among criminals, but authorities now hope to shut down similar apps in the coming year.
Jung, described as a computer geek with no criminal history, was arrested at his home in New South Wales. He faces five charges, including supporting a criminal organisation, and could face up to three years in prison.