FBI’s encrypted app contributes to 800 arrests of global criminals

More than 800 criminals were arrested, 55 luxury cars impounded and above $48 million in a variety of currencies and digital possessions were seized through a covert procedure that tricked criminals into by using a phone encryption iphone app run by the FBI and 16 other global security organizations.

The operation, called OTF Greenlight or Trojan Shield, was one of the most significant and most complex law enforcement functions to date in the fight encrypted criminal activities, Europol, that was the main action, said in a statement on Tuesday.

A series of police actions were executed in the last few days across 16 countries, leading to more than 700 house searches and seizure greater than 30 tonnes of prescription drugs.

“This operation can be an exceptional success by the authorities in the US, Sweden, holland, Australia, New Zealand and the other European members of the Operational Task Force,” Europol’s deputy executive director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe said.

The purpose of the coalition was to focus on global organised crime by offering criminals an encrypted unit and iphone app with features seemingly helpful in executing high-profile crimes.

Since 2019, the agencies ran an encrypted device firm called Anom. It grew to assistance more than 12,000 encrypted devices which were employed by over 300 criminal syndicates operating in a lot more than 100 countries. Organizations using the iphone app included Italian organised criminal offense, outlaw motorbike gangs and international medicine trafficking organisations.

“Encrypted criminal communications systems have traditionally been a tool to evade police and facilitate transnational organised crime,” Calvin Shivers, associate director of FBI’s criminal investigative division, said.

“The FBI and our international partners continue steadily to push the envelope and develop innovative methods to overcome these challenges and get criminals to justice," he added.

Australian Federal Law enforcement commissioner Reece Kershaw told reporters that these devices helped to foil more than 20 murder plots and different other heinous crimes.

“This operation is one of the largest intelligence-led police businesses against violent crime and drug networks ever in Sweden,” said Linda Staaf, police commissioner and head of intelligence of the Swedish police.

“We highly appreciate this sort of co-operation between police organizations. The criminality spreads across borders and foreign co-operation is vital to fight serious crime.”