Europol, alongside global law enforcement, dismantled the encrypted chat app Ghost, widely used by criminal networks for drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent crime. The operation led to 51 arrests and key seizures.
Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement agencies from nine countries have dismantled an encrypted communication platform, dubbed Ghost, which was being exploited by criminal networks around the world to facilitate large-scale illicit activities.
Ghost, designed with high-level encryption, had become a go-to tool for organised crime, enabling drug trafficking, money laundering, and even violent offences while evading law enforcement.
Renowned for its multiple encryption standards and self-destructing messaging feature, Ghost allowed criminal networks to communicate securely and evade detection. Authorities revealed that thousands of users globally were relying on Ghost for illegal operations, with nearly 1,000 encrypted messages exchanged daily on the platform.
Major Arrests and Seizures
The operation, which included coordinated raids and technical interventions, resulted in 51 arrests. Most of the suspects were detained in Australia, with 38 individuals apprehended, followed by 11 arrests in Ireland. Key suspects were also captured in Canada and Italy, with the latter involving members of the notorious Italian Sacra Corona Unita mafia.
In addition to the arrests, a major drug lab was dismantled in Australia, and law enforcement seized weapons, drugs, and over €1 million in cash globally. Europol confirmed that several threats to life were thwarted during the operation, which is expected to lead to further arrests as investigations continue.
A Global Coordinated Effort
In a press release, Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in dismantling such sophisticated networks. “Today, we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they cannot evade our collective effort,” De Bolle stated, praising the cooperation between nine nations and Europol in taking down Ghost.
The platform’s infrastructure was spread across several countries, with servers located in France and Iceland, owners traced to Australia, and financial assets linked to the U.S. The multinational taskforce established in March 2022, which involved countries such as Australia, Canada, France, and the United States, played a key role in identifying the suppliers and users of Ghost.
EncroChat, Anom and Ghost
In a similar move, Europol and related authorities successfully seized the European encrypted communication provider EncroChat in 2023, following a major takedown of the platform in 2020. The dismantling of EncroChat, which had been widely used by criminal networks for coordinating illegal activities, led to the arrests of hundreds of suspects across Europe.
In a similar operation in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took control of the encrypted communications company Anom, known to users as the Anom app, while it was still in its infancy. The FBI transformed it into a large-scale honeypot, which ultimately led to the arrest of over 800 criminals in 2021.
Both proved crucial in disrupting organised crime, setting a precedent for the recent Ghost takedown and demonstrating Europol’s ongoing commitment to targeting encrypted communication systems exploited by criminals.
International Cooperation
This operation was supported by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) between the U.S. and French authorities, alongside contributions from law enforcement in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Iceland. Europol’s headquarters played a key role in coordinating the multi-country raids, deploying experts across Iceland, Ireland, and Australia.
As investigations continue, this operation signals a major victory for law enforcement agencies worldwide in their ongoing battle against organised crime. Yet, the dismantling of Ghost is only the latest chapter in an ongoing fight against encrypted tools that allow criminal organisations to operate in the shadows.
