Sydney man charged with operating encrypted app for global crime syndicates.
Sydney: Australian authorities have charged a 32-year-old man with building and administering an encrypted messaging service allegedly used by organized crime rings across countries.
Jay Je Yoon Jung faces charges including supporting criminal organizations and profiting from unlawful proceeds, after appearing in court.
Police claim Jung’s Ghost app, launched in 2017, was designed solely for criminals who paid up to $1600 for custom phones and six-month subscriptions.
Used to traffic drugs, arms, and order killings, it connected “hundreds” in Australia, Italy, the Middle East, and South Korea, according to AFP.
Raids targeting over 50 alleged Ghost users were carried out in multiple nations including Ireland, Sweden, and Canada.
Over 50 suspect Australian users now face charges as AFP disrupted threats and prevented 200kg drug import after seizing 25 weapons.
Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney hailed the penetration of platforms harboring evidence as a “holy grail” for law enforcement.
French and Australian tech teams spent years infiltrating Ghost’s secure network, accessing user communications in a technical feat.
The success echoes the FBI luring 800 suspects globally through the ANOM app in 2019, slamming transnational syndicates.
