Australian Federal Police (AFP) have cracked a secret communication app allegedly used by some of the country’s most dangerous criminals to orchestrate drug deals, kidnappings, and murder.
The operation, code-named Kraken, was part of a global law enforcement effort involving 700 officers across four Australian states.
Authorities raided homes in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, resulting in the arrest of 50 alleged offenders so far.
“We allege hundreds of criminals, including Italian organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gang members, Middle Eastern organised crime, and Korean organised crime have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illicit drugs and order killings,” AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said.
“As Ghost haunts criminals who used the platform, the AFP will be ever present to disrupt and target organised crime both in Australia and offshore.”
Police swooped on syndicates from Australian drug runners to the Italian mafia after hacking the app run from a Sydney bedroom. (Source: 1News)
Operation Kraken reportedly prevented 50 threats to kill or harm individuals in Australia.
“Operation Kraken is law enforcement’s latest takedown of an encrypted communications platform. Law enforcement has again infiltrated a criminal network and outsmarted organised crime. EncroChat, Sky Global, Phantom Secure, AN0M, and now Ghost—all platforms used by transnational serious organised crime—have been dismantled over the past decade.”
NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Mick Fitzgerald said the arrests underscored the importance of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work and effort investigators have put into this operation,” he said.
Alleged 32-year-old mastermind hacker caught
The AFP also arrested Jay Ye Yoon Jung, a 32-year-old alleged hacker from Sydney’s south-west, who is accused of being the mastermind behind the Ghost app. The platform was allegedly used by Australia’s underworld to communicate in secret.
Jung allegedly operated the app from his parents’ home, selling specialised encrypted handsets for AUD$2350 and vetting new users before allowing them access. Police claim he launched the platform when he was just 23, marketing it to organised crime groups.
He appeared in Downing Centre Local Court today, facing five charges, including supporting a criminal organisation, dealing with suspected proceeds of crime under $100,000, and several fraud-related offences. The most serious charge, under the Crimes Act 1914, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
McCartney said the raids were part of ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated criminal networks that use encrypted communication to evade law enforcement.
“The lives of many serious criminals dramatically changed when they realised their phone—and those who vouched for it—had betrayed them,” he said.
Dismantling a global crime network
Police revealed more than 600 Ghost devices were in use worldwide, with 376 active in Australia.
The global scope of Operation Kraken included coordinated raids in Italy, Sweden, Ireland, and Canada, where law enforcement agencies—including Europol and the FBI—joined forces to dismantle the platform.
“Today we have made it clear that no matter how hidden criminal networks think they are, they can’t evade our collective effort,” Europol executive director Catherine De Bolle said.
“Law enforcement from nine countries, together with Europol, have dismantled a tool that was a lifeline for serious organised crime.”
International partners began targeting Ghost in 2022, and the AFP joined the operation after developing a covert method to infiltrate the app’s communications. By modifying software updates pushed to Ghost devices, Australian authorities gained access to encrypted content, monitoring messages in real-time.
Colonel Florian Manet, head of France’s Home Affairs Ministry National Cyber Command, said the raids were the culmination of years of work.
“A technical solution was implemented over several years, which ultimately allowed the task force to access communications on this secure platform,” he said.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Marie Eve Lavallée added that the RCMP worked “tirelessly” to curb international drug trafficking.
“By collaborating with authorities in various countries, including Australia, we are implementing robust strategies to counter the criminal networks that threaten our society,” Lavallée said.
Authorities have vowed more arrests will follow as they continue investigating Ghost’s global network.
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