Hundreds of alleged criminals have reportedly been arrested globally.
Law enforcement agencies across 18 countries around the world reportedly collaborated in the intelligence operations led by FBI.
The suspected criminals are said to have been arrested across 18 countries.
They nabbed in a three-year long Operation.
Accordingly, the FBI and its collaborating security agencies used a secure messaging app to arrest the criminals.
The app is run by the FBI. The operation was jointly conceived by Australia and the FBI, saw the app ANOM secretly distributed among criminals, allowing police to monitor their conversations without their knowledge.
According to reports, those arrested include suspects linked to the mafia and organised criminal groups.
Reports say drugs, weapons
and cash have also been seized.
In Australia alone, an estimated 224 people were reportedly arrested as a result of the operation, and had acted on 20 “threats to kill”, potentially saving the lives of a “significant number of innocent bystanders”.
Addressing a press conference, Australia’s
prime minister labeled the sting a “watershed” operation that had hit criminal gangs globally.
“[It] has struck a heavy blow against organised crime – not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world,” he said.
In New Zealand, some 35 people have been detained.
According to police in New Zealand, after the FBI had dismantled two other encryption services, it began operating its own encrypted device company called ANOM.
Devices with the chat app were reportedly distributed in the criminal underworld.
According to the police in Australia, the devices were initially used by alleged senior crime figures, giving other criminals the confidence to use the platform.
By Melvin Tarlue