US and Australian authorities have cracked down on an app used by criminals to read millions of encrypted messages, leading to hundreds of arrests of organized crime suspects in 18 countries, Australian officials said.
Operation "Ironside" by Australian police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) caught suspects in Australia, Asia, South America and the Middle East involved in international drug trafficking, officials said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the operation "dealt a heavy blow to organized crime - not just in this country but one that will reverberate through organized crime networks around the world".
"This is a turning point in Australian law enforcement history," Morrison told reporters in Sydney.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Rhys Kershaw said hundreds of suspects had been arrested in police raids in 18 countries. Europol and the FBI said on social media that they will hold press conferences later in the day, reports Hina.
Australia said it had arrested 224 people, including members of outlawed motorcycle gangs, and New Zealand said it had detained 35 people. In the operation, which Australian police and the FBI have been preparing since 2018, officials in the United States seized control of the ANOM messaging app, which is used by organized crime networks.
After a man belonging to the Australian underworld started handing out customized phones containing the app to his associates as a secure means of communication, police were able to monitor their messages. The gangs believed the system was secure because the phones had no other capabilities, no voice or camera features were loaded, and the app was encrypted.
"Drugs, violence, killing innocent people..."
"We were in the back pockets of organized crime. All they talk about is drugs, violence, mutual attacks, innocent people who will be killed..." Kershaw said at the same media briefing. Executing Australia's largest number of search warrants in one day, police yesterday seized 104 firearms, as well as almost US$34.9 million in cash.
A total of 525 charges have been filed, but authorities expect more to be filed in the coming weeks.
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