Hours after confirming they had pwned the supposedly uncrackable encrypted messaging platform used for all manner of organized crime, Ghost, cops have now named the suspect they cuffed last night, who is charged with being the alleged mastermind.
Australian national Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, of Narwee, New South Wales, was arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and faced five charges in a Sydney court today in relation to the development and administration of Ghost.
Jay Je Yoon Jung, suspected of being mastermind behind the Ghost platform, was arrested in NSW. Pic: Australian Federal Police
The platform operated in a similar fashion to EncroChat, although it was much smaller in scale. EncroChat was infiltrated and taken down in 2020, and the analysis of its users’ communications continues to yield convictions.
Like the analysis of EncroChat’s users, the AFP said today that 38 additional Ghost users are currently facing “serious charges” for their various activities on the platform, including “significant prison sentences.”
The arrests took place over the course of two days of action on September 17-18 which involved 700 AFP members executing search warrants across four Australian states.
Additional arrests across Australia and international territories are expected in the coming days, the AFP said.
Ghost was used by different types of criminals and transnational organized crime groups (OCGs), although it was mainly relied upon by drug traffickers, money launderers, and those who wished to arrange violent attacks on individuals.
Australia’s Operation Kraken concerning the Ghost platform infographic
David McLean, assistant commissioner at the AFP, said: “As a result of our efforts, we will allege hundreds of criminals, including Italian organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern organized crime, and Korean organized crime have been using Ghost, in Australia and overseas, to import illicit drugs and to order the killing of individuals involved in various criminal enterprises.”
The AFP said its Operation Kraken has already intervened in 50 threats to life and threats of harm made by users on the Ghost platform, stymied the distribution of 200 kg worth of drugs from reaching users in Australia, and the seizure of 25 illegal firearms and weapons.
Criminals purchased access to Ghost in the form of specialized hardware – handsets modified by Je Yoon Jung and allegedly sold using a network of resellers.
These modded smartphones were sold for around $2,350 AUD ($1,593 USD) each. This paid for the hardware itself and a six-month subscription to the Ghost platform. The AFP believes 376 handsets were active in Australia at the time of writing.
Global effort
The disruption of Ghost is a couple of years in the making. Europol and Eurojust’s Operation Taskforce (OTF) Next was established in March 2022 at which point other partners across the globe were invited to contribute.
Led by the US’s FBI and France’s Gendarmerie, law enforcement agencies from nine territories contributed to the takedown of Ghost including police forces from Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden, plus the Italian Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Service.
Commenting on the news, Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said: “Today we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they can’t evade our collective effort.
“Law enforcement from nine countries, together with Europol, have dismantled a tool which was a lifeline for serious organized crime. This operation is what Europol is all about: Turning collaboration into concrete results by bringing together the right people, tools, and expertise to address every aspect of this complex operation.
“The work carried out is part of our ongoing commitment to tackling organized crime wherever it operates. I want to extend my gratitude to all our global partners who played a vital role in making this operation a success.”
Emerald in the rough
Speaking at a press conference, Justin Kelly, assistant commissioner at An Garda Síochána, said Ireland had the second largest userbase of Ghost in the world, and four OCGs in the country were targeted through the police’s access to Ghost.
“During this operation, we targeted four Irish organized crime groups who were involved in drugs trafficking, frequently using violence and intimidation to enforce their illicit trade,” said Kelly. “Most significantly, we have dismantled a primary drugs trafficking route into our country, and in doing so have seized drugs with an approximate street value of €16 million ($17.82 million). We deployed over 300 specialist officers and searched 33 premises across the country during this operation.
“Our activity to date has re