International coalition takes down encrypted communication platform Ghost

Europol, Eurojust and law enforcement agencies from all over the world have successfully dismantled Ghost, an encrypted communication platform that was being used by criminal organizations.

The platform was used to carry out numerous criminal activities, including arms trading, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, money laundering, and other forms of organized crime.

The platform’s robust encryption and fully anonymized service made it ideal for criminal networks to use for their endeavors. Several thousand people worldwide used this tool, exchanging around one thousand messages each day.

The platform uses three encryption standards and offers the option to send a message followed by a specific code that results in the self-destruction of all messages on the target’s phone. By using multiple private servers around the world, third-party and government agencies had difficulty tracking the communication solution.

The operation to take down Ghost was carried out by law enforcement authorities from Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States, and supported by Europol and Eurojust. However, it started small with a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from France and the United States and Joint Operational Centre that was established at Europol.

The communication platform’s servers were located in France and Iceland. It was administered from Australia and Canada, and financial assets were located in the United States.

During the operation, law enforcement agencies arrested 38 suspects in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Italy and one in Canada. Furthermore, a drug lab was dismantled in Australia. Lastly, police officers seized weapons, drugs and over € 1 million in cash. As the investigation progresses, more arrests and seizures are expected.

“Today we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they can’t evade our collective effort. The work carried out is part of our ongoing commitment to tackling organized crime wherever it operates. I want to extend my gratitude to all our global partners who played a vital role in making this operation a success,” Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said in a statement.