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Sujha Sundararajan
Author
Sujha Sundararajan
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South Australian Police have laid 800 charges and made 55 arrests in connection with a massive cryptocurrency-related criminal ring. The latest move is the third phase of Operation Ironside, a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the FBI.
According to ABC Newsauthorities have seized crypto assets worth about AU$58 million ($37.9 million) related to the probe.
The FBI had built an app called AN0M to secretly interpret criminal communications. Using the encrypted messaging app, authorities tracked illicit communications related to drug smuggling and crypto transactions.
The new phase was launched after the High Court approved the use of AN0M messages as evidence.
Deputy Police Commissioner Linda Williams said the move was a “significant blow to organized crime across South Australia”.
She called the arrests “unprecedented,” adding that 300 police officers were involved in many raids.
“I think you can anticipate more arrests, but probably not at the [tempo] that you saw today,” he added.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) installed AN0M on modified phones that lack cameras, GPS or navigators, designed to appeal to criminals seeking secure communication for illicit activities. The application was allegedly hidden in the calculator of each phone.
The FBI worked with the Australian Federal Police, which “developed a world-first capability to unscramble encrypted communications.” Together, they secretly captured all data sent between devices using the platform, the ABC report reads.
The AN0M app included features such as auto-expiring messages, the ability to take and send photos, voice alteration and file archiving.
Soon, hundreds of criminals were arrested as part of Operation Ironside in Australia. For the Australian Federal Police, almost 1,000 suspects have been arrested worldwide, with weapons and money laundering involving crypto.
“This is a really strong deterrent message to organized criminals operating in South Australia,” Deputy Commissioner Williams said. “We were able to leverage intelligence from the encrypted AN0M app to bring this to a successful resolution.”
Crypto Crime Investigations Places ‘Burgen’ on Enforcement Agencies: Europol
Recently, Europol warned that the misuse of crypto for criminal use is “becoming more and more sophisticated.” In a report published last week, the law enforcement agency noted that the increasing sophistication of criminal tactics can pose risks for the crypto sector and scam victims in general.
“The misuse of crypto and blockchain technology for criminal purposes is becoming increasingly sophisticated, complex and organized,” said Burkhard Mühl, Head of Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre.
As a result, investigating these crypto-related crimes has become a “burden” for agencies around the world, he added.
