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Digital Mob Comms: Thousands of criminals were using the same "social network," Ghost, to conduct illicit activities worldwide. The platform offered multiple encryption options, but despite these security measures, Europol and other agencies successfully broke through and arrested its administrator.
A broad coalition of law enforcement agencies has dismantled Ghost, a platform offering advanced, encrypted communication services for criminals. The platform was run by a single administrator, a 32-year-old man arrested in Australia, and allowed users worldwide to exchange messages and even assassination requests.
Europol worked with agencies from nine different countries to take down Ghost. The platform supported three different encryption standards, and users were reportedly able to delete all previously exchanged messages by sending a single, specific code.
David McLean, assistant commissioner of Australia's federal police, said Ghost was widely used by notorious criminal organizations, including Italian mob syndicates, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern groups, and Korean gangs. These groups relied on the app to coordinate drug trafficking operations, order assassinations, and more.
The joint investigation began in 2022, Europol revealed, and concluded with 51 arrests across multiple countries. In addition to the Ghost administrator, 38 people were arrested in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Canada, and one in Italy. The Italian suspect is reportedly linked to Sacra Corona Unita, a powerful Mafia-style criminal organization based in the Apulia (Puglia) region of Southern Italy.
Investigators were able to decrypt Ghost's operations, allowing them to read users' messages. Europol representatives stated that up to 50 lives were potentially saved after decrypting messages, preventing further injuries or murders. However, no specific details have been provided about how law enforcement cracked the platform's encryption.
"Encrypted phone communication is a challenge for contemporary policing, but one which we are now making significant inroads into," said Justin Kelly, assistant commissioner of Ireland's Garda Síochána.
According to Europol deputy executive director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Ghost had a smaller user base compared to other known criminal communication platforms. Organized crime syndicates are increasingly turning to various encrypted platforms, fragmenting the market into multiple smaller networks.
Lecouffe referenced the major operation against EncroChat in 2020, which led to over 6,500 arrests worldwide and the seizure of €900,000 in cash. After EncroChat was taken down, SkyECC emerged as a replacement before it, too, was "unlocked" in 2021, resulting in further large-scale raids and arrests.