An international law enforcement operation has dismantled an encrypted communication platform, known as Ghost, notorious for enabling large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering, leading to the arrest of 51 suspects from multiple countries including one in Canada.
The platform had gained popularity among criminal organizations for its advanced security features and its dismantling marks a significant blow to global organized crime networks.
Europol said on Wednesday that the operation prevented several threats to life, dismantled a drug lab in Australia, and led to the global seizure of weapons, drugs, and over one million euros ($1.5 million Cdn) in cash and that more arrests were expected.
One person was arrested in Vancouver as part of an investigation into the export of drugs from Canada to Australia. That person was questioned, and released pending trial, the RCMP told CBC News.
The RCMP also added that it “played a key role in this operation by developing an innovative technique enabling to seize the digital evidence that was essential.”
What is Ghost?
Ghost is an encrypted communication platform that was used as a lifeline by criminal networks around the world.
The platform was used as a tool to carry out a wide range of criminal activities, including large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, instances of extreme violence and other forms of serious and organized crime.
Why did it gain in popularity among crime networks?
Ghost had gained traction among criminal organizations due to its robust security features.
Users could buy Ghost without revealing any personal information. It used three encryption standards and allowed messages to be sent with a self-destruct code, erasing all communications from the recipient’s device.
This allowed criminal networks to communicate securely, evade detection, counter forensic measures and co-ordinate illegal activities across borders.
Worldwide, several thousand people used the tool, which has its own infrastructure and applications with a network of resellers based in multiple countries.
On a global scale, roughly one thousand messages are exchanged daily via Ghost.
‘Taking down dedicated encrypted communication devices takes significant skill. But the holy grail is always penetrating criminal platforms to access evidence,’ Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said on Wednesday, of the Ghost app that police said was used by hundreds of suspected criminals from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Why was the takedown such a global effort?
Europol said that Ghost’s servers were found in France and Iceland, while the company owners were located in Australia. Its financial assets were located in the United States.
The takedown which involved a series of coordinated raids resulted in a total of 51 suspects who were arrested, with 38 in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Canada and one in Italy belonging to the Italian Sacra Corona Unita mafia group.
“This was truly a global game of cat and mouse, and today, the game is up,” Europol’s deputy executive director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe told reporters.
Have there been similar takedowns in recent years?
Several secure platforms used by criminal gangs to organize drug trafficking, underworld hits and money laundering have been taken down by the police in recent years. Here are some of the major ones.
In August, French prosecutors charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with 12 offences related to allegations of his messaging app, which is well known for its encryption options, being complicit in allowing users to facilitate such illicit activities — and for refusing to co-operate with law enforcement.
The takedown of Encrochat, an underground company that offered criminals supposedly secure encrypted communications, led to more than 6,500 arrests and 900 million euros ($980 million) in seized assets last year. Encrochat, which sold modified Android mobile devices for around 1,000 euros each and charged users hefty subscription fees with the promise their communications would remain encrypted and secret, had an estimated 60,000 users when it shut down abruptly in June 2020.
A global sting by the U.S. FBI, as well as Australian and European police in 2021 helped take down ANOM, a secure encrypted messaging app. The infiltration of the network led to more than 800 arrests and the confiscation of drugs, weapons, cash and luxury cars.