Thanks to an app that criminals used on their cell phones to communicate with each other, but which was actually under police control, hundreds of arrests were made in Europe, the United States and Oceania. This was announced today by the Australian police, who arrested over 220 people in the country for murder or trafficking in drugs and weapons.
The operation, called the “most sophisticated in the world“
The massive operation was coordinated by Interpol and allowed for the dismantling of a criminal network operating all over the world. The operation, called the “most sophisticated in the world“, led to hundreds of arrests in Australia and New Zealand alone and was conducted by a coalition of law enforcement agencies in dozens of countries that gained access to a app used by the underworld and managed to decrypt the messages, the Australian Federal Police said.
18 countries involved
According to the Australian broadcaster, hundreds of people – including members of organized crime and members of motorcycle gangs – have been arrested in the largest criminal operation conducted in Australia, but which also involved 18 countries, including some European nations. .
Survey lasted three years
As part of a collaboration between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), underworld characters were tricked into communicating via an encrypted app designed by the police for three years.
Read 25 million messages
The app, known as AN0M, has been used by organized criminal gangs around the world to plan executions, drug trafficking and money laundering. The authorities were able to read up to 25 million messages in real time and thus uncover 21 plots to commit murders. More than three tons of drugs and $ 35 million in cash were seized.