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Following a global takedown operation in September, arrests of Australian criminals continue to stack up.
The Australian Federal Police has said that its investigation into the Ghost criminal messaging app, which was taken down by a global law enforcement operation in September, is continuing to lead to arrests.
“Nearly 400 Ghost devices were operated in Australia and sent 162,000 messages over the lifetime of the app so this digital treasure trove of material will continue to yield important information about alleged criminal activity conducted in this country,” AFP Commander Paula Hudson said in a statement over the weekend explaining the impact of the AFP’s Operation Kraken.
Since the initial takedown, 14 more people have been charged, alongside the 38 initially charged during the first stages of the operation.
“The resolution of Operation Kraken in September was the culmination of the AFP’s largest criminal investigation in 2024, but the work of investigators will continue through 2025 as we piece together the full scale of criminality taking place over the Ghost app,” Commander Hudson said.
“As criminals evolve their methodologies, the AFP and law enforcement agencies around the world will continue to exploit their vulnerabilities and disrupt the cyber infrastructures that help facilitate serious organised crime.”
The alleged Australian mastermind behind the network has been in custody since 17 September, when he was charged with drug trafficking offences. Police also restrained $9.3 million in cryptocurrency.
A 47-year-old Sydney man, alleged to be a distributor of the Ghost communications devices, was charged in October over additional offences. In November, two Melbourne men were charged over alleged drug trafficking operations.
The full results of the investigation are as follows:
“I again acknowledge our intelligent and dedicated members who found a unique solution to infiltrate this app and put the AFP in the back pockets of alleged criminals who believed they were communicating secretively,” Commander Hudson said.
“The AFP will never give up in the fight against organised crime. We do this to keep Australians safe – that is our number one job.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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