This operation was part of a multinational task force established in March 2022, which included law enforcement from Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.

In Ireland, law enforcement targeted four organized crime groups using Ghost, resulting in significant drug seizures valued at approximately 16 million euros.

Operation Kraken, which was part of this initiative, executed 71 search warrants and helped thwart 50 planned acts of violence, including murders.

The dismantling of Ghost follows previous international operations against encrypted communication networks like EncroChat and ANOM, which have significantly influenced current crime-fighting strategies.

Ghost was linked to serious criminal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and assassination attempts, with thousands of users globally and about 1,000 messages sent daily.

The operation resulted in the arrest of 38 alleged criminals, the seizure of 25 illegal weapons, and 200 kilograms of drugs, marking a substantial blow to organized crime.

Catherine De Bolle, the head of Europol, emphasized that such secret communications face slim chances against international law enforcement efforts.

The fragmentation of encrypted communication is increasing as criminals adapt to law enforcement actions, necessitating continued international cooperation.

The Australian Federal Police previously collaborated with the US FBI on a platform that gathered evidence related to serious crimes, which criminals mistakenly believed to be secure.

Australian police have successfully infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted communication app used by criminals, leading to numerous arrests and the recovery of 376 smartphones associated with the platform.

The platform employed multiple encryption standards and had a self-destruct message feature, which facilitated secure communication for criminal networks.

A man accused of creating and maintaining the Ghost network is scheduled to face court, highlighting ongoing legal actions stemming from this operation.