(Reuters) — A joint U.S.-Australian police operation targeting organised crime led to hundreds of arrests in 18 countries after officers penetrated an app used by criminals and read millions of encrypted messages, Australian police said on Tuesday.
The operation between Australia and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation ensnared criminals in Australia, Asia, South America and the Middle East involved in the global narcotics trade, police said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the operation “struck a heavy blow against organised crime – not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world”.
“This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history,” he told reporters in Sydney.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said police raids in 18 countries netted hundreds of suspects. Interpol and the FBI said on social media they would hold news conferences later on Tuesday.
Australia said it had arrested 224 people including members of outlawed motorcycle gangs, while New Zealand said it had detained 35 people.
The operation, which was conceived by Australian police and the FBI in 2018, saw officials in the United States take control of the ANOM messaging app popular with organised crime networks.
When an Australian underworld figure began distributing the app to his associates as a secure means to communicate, police could monitor their messages.
“We have been in the back pockets of organised crime,” Kershaw said at the same media briefing.
“All they talk about is drugs, violence, hits on each other, innocent people who are going to be murdered.”
One murder plot involved plans to target a cafe with a machine gun, while a family of five was also targeted. Authorities said they were able to prevent these attacks.
Executing Australia’s largest number of search warrants in one day, police on Monday seized 104 firearms as well as almost A$45 million ($34.9 million) in cash.
A total of 525 charges have already been laid but authorities expect more in the coming weeks.
