An international law enforcement operation dismantled an encrypted communications platform known as Ghost involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, according to Europol.
Europol also reported on Wednesday the arrest of 51 suspects from different countries, but the number of arrests could rise.
The Ghost platform gained popularity among criminal organisations due to its advanced security features. Its dismantling dealt a severe blow to global organised crime networks, according to Europol’s Deputy Executive Director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe.
This was truly a global game of cat and mouse, and today, the game is up.
According to Europol, the operation against Ghost averted several life threats, dismantled a drug lab in Australia, and resulted in a global seizure of weapons, drugs, and more than 1 million euros ($1.11 million) in cash. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle called the platform “a lifeline for serious organised crime.”
Today we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they can’t evade our collective effort.
The operation was carried out with the assistance of authorities in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, and Iceland as part of a wider commitment to combat global organised crime.
