Dozens of arrests after messaging network is dismantled

More than 50 people have been arrested as part of a major international investigation that saw the dismantling of an encrypted communications platform.

The platform, known as Ghost, was used to facilitate a wide range of criminal activities, including large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, extreme violence and other forms of serious and organised crime.

Europol and Eurojust worked with international law enforcement agencies to carry out the operation.

During the investigation, 51 suspects were arrested, including 38 in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Canada and one in Italy. They belonged to the Italian mafia group Sacra Corona Unita.

Europol also reported that a number of threats to life were prevented and a drug laboratory in Australia was dismantled.

Weapons, drugs and more than €1 million (£842,270) in cash have also been seized worldwide, the agency said.

In Ireland, Gardaí (Irish police) have seized a total of €15.2 million (£12.8 million) worth of cocaine and 42 suspected encrypted devices.

They investigated four identified organised crime groups and support networks in the Dublin and East region.

On Monday, more than 300 officers searched 27 buildings.

Representatives from Europol, the Australian Federal Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation were also in Ireland to support the ongoing operation.

During these searches, the police seized the following:

• €300,000 (£252,795) in cash
• Two cryptocurrency keys (contents under investigation)
• 42 Suspected Ghost ECC Encrypted Devices
• 126 other mobile devices
• 27 laptops
• 200+ SIM cards
• Six Rolex watches
• A 2021 Range Rover Jeep

On Monday they also intercepted a truck with a trailer in the southeast of the country.

After searching the truck, officers found 100 kg of cocaine in a well-hidden compartment.

This cocaine, analysed by Forensic Science Ireland, has a value of €7 million (£5.8 million).

Five men, aged 30, 40 and 50, have been arrested in connection with this part of the operation.

In a statement on Wednesday, An Garda Síochána said the Ghost platform had gained popularity among criminal organisations due to its advanced security features.

Users could purchase the solution without providing any personal information.

The solution used three encryption standards and offered the ability to send a message followed by a specific code that would automatically destroy all messages on the target phone.

This allowed criminal networks to communicate securely, evade detection, defeat forensic measures and coordinate their illegal activities across borders.

Thousands of people worldwide use the tool, which has its own infrastructure and applications and a network of resellers in various countries.

Approximately one thousand messages are exchanged via Ghost every day worldwide.

With servers found in France and Iceland, the company’s owners located in Australia and its financial assets in the United States, a global operation was launched against the phone service.

More arrests are expected in the global investigation, in addition to the 51 already made.

Catherine De Bolle, director of Europol, said the organisation “has made it clear that criminal networks, however hidden they may be, cannot escape our joint effort”.

“The law enforcement authorities of nine countries, together with Europol, have dismantled an instrument that was a lifeline for serious organised crime,” said Ms De Bolle.

Speaking at Europol headquarters in The Hague, Justin Kelly, Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, said the involvement of his officers “demonstrates Ireland’s continued commitment and ability to act at an international level against transnational organised crime groups that cause so much damage and misery not just in Ireland, but in countries around the world”.

“Transnational networks of organised crime groups know no borders and respect no international boundary or rule of law,” he said.

“It is a network that can defeat another network and today’s announcement is a clear example of the power of law enforcement networks to degrade and dismantle the activities of these criminal networks.”

When asked, on BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programJustin Kelly said of the potential implications for Northern Ireland: ”To date, our investigations have identified just four criminal organisations all based between Dublin and the east coast of Ireland and the network facilitators are all based in the Dublin area.”

“The fact that such devices have not yet appeared in the UK or Northern Ireland is something to be thankful for. There was no doubt that they would have appeared very quickly,” he added.

As for the extension of these crimes to Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, he said the activities would “certainly” have an impact on Northern Ireland.

”People involved in drug trafficking do not recognise borders…drug trafficking is on an all-island basis. Drugs are imported through NI for the southern market, just as they are imported through Ireland for the NI market.”