Gardai help smash crime gangs' 'Ghost' platform during major international operation

Gardai say they and several other law enforcement agencies around the world have 'dismantled' an encrypted communications network being used by criminal gangs in Ireland and across the world as part of a major global operation.

The platform, known as Ghost, was used to facilitate a wide range of criminal activities, including large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, instances of extreme violence and other forms of serious and organised crime.

"Ghost had gained traction among criminal organisations due to its advanced security features. Users could purchase the solution without any personal information. The solution used three encryption standards and offered the option to send a message followed by a specific code that results in self-destruction of all messages on the target phone. This allowed criminal networks to communicate securely, evade detection, counter forensic measures, and coordinate their illegal operations across borders," said a garda spokesperson.

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Worldwide, several thousands of individuals used the tool, which has its own infrastructure and applications with a network of resellers based in several countries. On a global scale, around a thousand messages are being exchanged each day via Ghost.

In Ireland, An Garda Síochána's National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau has been coordinating investigations related to the Ghost platform with regard to four identified Organised Crime Groups and support networks based and operating in the Dublin and Eastern Region, involved in drug trafficking and money laundering on a significant scale.

On Monday, more than 300 gardai from a number of local and specialist units carried out 27 searches as part of a coordinated International Law Enforcement day of action. Representatives from Europol, Australian Federal Police and the FBI were also in Ireland in support of the ongoing operation.

During these searches investigating seizures a variety of items, including electronics.
* €300,000 in cash
* 2 crypto currency keys (contents under investigation)
* 42 suspected Ghost ECC encrypted devices
* 126 other mobile devices
* 27 laptops
* 200 plus SIM cards
* 6 Rolex Watches
* 1 x 2021 Range Rover Jeep

Speaking at Europol Headquarters, The Hague, Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, of the Organised and Serious Crime said: "An Garda Síochána's involvement in this Europol Operational Task Force demonstrates Ireland's ongoing commitment and capacity to operate at an international level targeting Transnational Organised Crime Groups which cause so much harm and misery not just in Ireland but in countries across the world. 

"Transnational Organised Crime Group networks know no boundaries and do not respect any international borders or rules of law.  It takes a network to defeat a network and today's announcement is a clear indication of the power of Law Enforcement networks in degrading and dismantling the activities of these criminal networks.”