Ghost Encrypted Devices Seized By Gardai In Ongoing Probe

42 Ghost encrypted devices have been seized by Gardai as part of their ongoing international operation and investigation. They have also captured €15 million worth of cocaine, heroin and cannabis with an arrest of 11 people.

Moreover, a total cash of €350,000 and cryptocurrency money with an additional 150 electronic devices are captured by Gardai amid a global probe.

(Also read: Ireland Biggest Drug Trafficking Gang’s Route Dismantled With Seizing Of €6m Drugs)

Gardai is on the hunt for dismantling four huge organised crime groups and their network. Special teams have been designed for dismounting their serious and organised crimes in several regions of the country.

It was a joint operation by the FBI, the Australian Federal Police, the Canadian Mounted Police, the French National Gendarmerie and An Garda Siochana. Besides, authorities of the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Iceland were also taking part.

‘Ghost’ is an international communication app specially developed for the networking purposes of criminals. With the help of this grand investigative search, Gardai was able to take hold of the four criminal groups that are openly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

The prominent benefit of the Ghost system for the organised crime groups was its purchase without getting notified by the government. The three encryption standards and the messaging format through which an encrypted message could be sent with a code with a self-destruct option was a piece of cake for the crime gangs in the country.

A comprehensive search including 33 probes was conducted by Gardai whose staff of 300 people were deployed for the ongoing international operation initiated last Monday. 27 laptops, two cryptocurrency keys, 126 mobile devices other than Ghost encrypted devices, 200 sim cards, Range Rover Jeep (model 2021) and six Rolex watches.

After undertaking the coordinated search endeavours, an additional 51 people have been arrested in four countries. In Ireland, five people were arrested on Monday which included a logistics operations person from a West Dublin organised crime group called “The Family”. A total of 11 have been captured by Gardai in Ireland so far.

In Australia, 28 people were detained along with one each from Canada and Italy.

In addition, a drug lab was dislodged in Australia from where weapons and drugs of value €1 million were detained.

Justin Kelly, the head of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Assistant Commissioner assured that there would be more arrests in the coming days.

Ireland is the second-largest country for Ghost encrypted devices

Mr Kelly added that Ireland is the second largest country that hosts Ghost encrypted devices and forms a base for the organised crime groups which need to be dismantled. Therefore, the current operation, named “Operation Kraken” is of prime significance.

Previously, the drug trafficking route for “The Family” was dismantled by Gardai which the group used for transporting cocaine and heroin all over the world. The suspects were captured with a number of handsets that they used for communication, which was the highlight of the said operation.

Mr Kelly made note that drugs of street value of sixteen million euros were also taken by Gardai amidst the global probe. He explained that the Irish organised crime groups are operating with transnational bases to evade the Irish law enforcement agencies, and that is what has kept them in disguise for long.

With the help of other international authorities, Ireland has now been able to take the situation under control, for which a coordinated international response was in dire need of time, he said.

Mr Kelly also guaranteed that Gardai would make use of every opportunity and resource at hand to keep dismantling the Irish gangs that are on a mission to harm the Irish image around the globe.

He authenticated that the Ghost system has been entirely dismantled with success. Money laundering, extreme violence and drug trafficking are the major crimes that were facilitated through the Ghost system among these organised groups.