Police infiltrate 'Ghost' encryption app used by drug lords and the mafia – POLITICO

Authorities in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States worked with Europol and Eurojust, the European Union agency for criminal judicial cooperation, to map the platform's global infrastructure.

They found servers in France and Iceland and located Ghost's owners in Australia, where authorities arrested a 32-year-old administrator, The Associated Press reported.

“No matter how advanced the technology, no matter how secure they keep their communications, we will find them and put an end to their criminal activities,” said Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle.

Authorities also arrested members of the Italian mafia, motorcycle gangs and organized crime groups, authorities said. Arrests were made throughout Canada, Sweden, Ireland and Italy.

This is the latest high-profile raid on an encrypted communications system carried out by a team of international law enforcement agencies in recent years.

In 2020, France and the Netherlands led investigations into EncroChat, a “cryptophone” company that sold encrypted communications services and equipment used by criminal networks, many of which were involved in drug trafficking and organized crime.