Australian police have revealed that they successfully infiltrated Ghost, a globally utilized encrypted communication app designed for criminal activities, resulting in numerous arrests. Jay Je Yoon Jung, the alleged administrator of the app, aged 32, is slated to appear in a Sydney court to face charges related to supporting criminal organizations and benefiting from criminal proceeds.
In a series of recent raids conducted across four Australian states, law enforcement detained 38 suspects, while authorities in Canada, Sweden, Ireland, and Italy also made arrests. According to Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney, numerous criminal factions such as Italian organized crime, motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern organized crime, and Korean organized crime have utilized Ghost to traffic illegal drugs and orchestrate violent acts.
Since March, Australian police have prevented around 50 individuals from being harmed, kidnapped, or killed by monitoring over 125,000 messages and 120 video calls. The police claim that the app was deliberately developed for criminal use in 2017 by the administrator. Australia collaborated with a global task force led by Europol to target Ghost in 2022.
French authorities, through Col. Florian Manet of France’s Home Affairs Ministry National Cyber Command Technical Department, contributed technical resources that aided in deciphering communications within the task force over multiple years. McCartney mentioned that the French authorities facilitated Australian police in decrypting Ghost communications.
Utilizing software updates regularly distributed by the administrator, Australian police technicians managed to manipulate the updates, enabling them to access the content on Australian devices. McCartney explained that by essentially infecting the devices, they could intercept the communication. Yoon Jung, the suspected administrator, was arrested at his parents’ residence in Sydney.
Police allege that Yoon Jung operated through a network of resellers who offered specialized handsets to criminals worldwide. The customized smartphones were priced at 2,350 Australian dollars ($1,590), which included a six-month subscription to Ghost and technical support.
