It was supposed to be the underworld's impenetrable communication tool, a digital safe space to plot crimes ranging from drug trafficking to murder away from the prying eyes of the law.
But for nearly three years, an encrypted app used by criminals was covertly monitored by the FBI and Australia's Federal Police (AFP) — leading to hundreds of arrests and tens of millions of dollars in asset seizures, authorities revealed on Tuesday.
In a statement, the AFP said they and the FBI had been reading the clandestine communications of criminals since 2018 on the ANoM app — a black-market product only accessible on specially prepared mobile phones.
According to the AFP, intelligence gathered from the decrypted messages led to the arrest of 224 suspects on more than 500 charges and the seizure of 3.7 metric tons of drugs and nearly $35 million in cash over the past three years in Australia.
A number of those charged are allegedly linked to Australian-based Italian mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organized crime, the AFP added.
"Operation Ironside," as the investigation was named, began three years ago as a collaboration between several global law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the AFP, New Zealand police and Europol.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said multiple criminal plots were also foiled thanks to law enforcement access to the app, including a planned mass shooting at an Australian suburban cafe and the assassination of a family of five.
ANoM could only be found on phones bought through the black market, which had been stripped of the capability to make calls or send emails, according to the AFP. The phones could only send messages to another device that had the app and criminals needed to know another criminal to get a device.
#IvanWatson #CNN #ConnectTheWorld
Nice work, now go for the financial sector !
Cool it with the antisemitism
@Mayan Aztec yeah; think of what Con JR’s phone would reveal.
Right! That part!
@Edward L. Quit trying to cover for this guy, as if he wanted FBI enforcement
@Janet Harold not that he needs credit for this, since it is regular operations, but law enforcement support is part of the party platform, so….
You’re off on that mark
Hollywood movie incoming with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Walberg
@B. T. No but your grandpa might
@Beer tester
Takes one to know one old man.😜
@Clooz you should get a publisher for that novel. May even be a best seller
Cuz they can’t think of anything new
no way. this needs to be season 6 of The Wire in a triumphant 13 year comeback. let’s say Ronnie makes it into DoJ, our FBI buddy makes As. Director, Mcnulty is still on the boat but actually made good and settled down with Beatty and has kids. you pull in anyone else you can for the reunion shots, like Frankie Faison is the President of the US lol, and that judge is AG but he’s a bad guy. then you develop a bunch of international characters and Niko turned bad and he’s the criminal mastermind of the Greek’s old organization with Fondas as his number 2 now.
Q) how do you bust criminals?
A) …”there’s an app for that!”
An app accepted by criminals,that is.
Perfect sir.
You need the “Get” App. to receive the App.
Comment of the day right here
If you are a criminal organization, it’s much more easier and safer to develop your own app.
Victoria Williams
yes, exactly
Pointless. Who do think has the best encryption breaking capabilities? Like slicing through butter.
Their goal worked.. for a little bit of innocent blood..and an arrest of a few organized crime/drug dealers…They have softened us up to compliment and cheer while our 4th ammendment rights are stepped on. Look up “LAW ENFORCEMENT TAKE OVER ENCRYPTED EMAIL.” Taking over real ex encrypted services…pretending to be them..go search EVERYONE..NOT JUST CRIMINALs! Exposing your data/info to real theives!
This doesn’t count innocent people who will die because of this app. Doesnt even count how similar means and tech can be used by authoritarian governments/dictatorships in the world. So much AI/ALGORITHMS ETC. Which were made, “to find conservatives,” etc.. Are used by these governments to hunt down any opposition or journalists. Not only criminals need SECURE ENCRYPTION!!
Our law enforcement should be STRENGTHENING ENCRYPTION!! Not destroying our privacy and security because they do not want to do investigations to get evidence for a search warrant!
Just like how this operation will do more harm than good…the weakening of security is the same. Look up, “law enforcement take over encrypted email service.” As I said above..they faced backlash..so now are working to prime the public and judicial system to accept their insaneauctions.They claim it is to catch criminals..but do not tell you all that innocents data is read and searched and made vulnerable to criminals and attacks!
They used narcs and rats who were entrapped. “Get people to use this app. and give us names…or go to jail for life.” This did not spread word of mouth. It was forced by law enforcement.
Also our governments are foolish to think this will hurt criminals at all!! When the “secrets,” are exposed. There will be violence in the streets…and innocents dead.
But this wasnt “effective,” this was a short term band aid…to justify the insane budgets law enforcement getz… and go justify the illegal action of law enforcement. They are gonna use this to justify where they have taken over SECURE AND ENCRYPTED REAL APPS!! And pretended to be those apps to steal people’s communication! Not only criminals used these apps! This could cause journalists and others to die!
Just an excuse to violate our privacy.
Now..there will be war on the streets. If high ups get arrested..then more violent people will take over the power vacuum. Look up what happened in Mexico once the cartels were taken over by the enforcers as leaders… instead of the “fake peace,” it turned into war.
This entire operation will likely cause much more damage, drugs, and death…than what would have happened without it!
Likely any innocents or people forced to push the app…will have their entire families hunted down.
Whoever made this operation…and WHO EVER DECIDED TO PUBLICIZE the whole thing… is an extreme sadist. This should have been made confidential!
To have the little animated press release…and to so carefully craft the narrative..it tells you this was shady.
Just think. Why are they making such a big press deal…and making such a big deal of “arrests made.”
It is because they want to get us to trade our privacy and RIGHTS for a false sense of security. They will use this to justify..BREAKING ENCRYPTION websites..which will expose us all to real criminals that cause real damage.. hackers, identity theft..and more… All to arrest some drug dealers and organized crime…which will just pop up.
Real citizens would rather our government work to make encryption, communication, and our information MORE SECURE! But instead…they are using these arrests to play the long game of “collecting all data,” to gain control.
It isn’t even a conspiracy anymore. You guys see how insane our governments went with the pandemic…using a real crisis…as an excuse to gain whatever “emergency powers,” they can. Now they are trying to keep said power. Hell…it is actually insane and terrifying!! Pure authoritarianism that is really dangerous!
yeh. Shows how if the Gov ever wants to make their own digital currency.. All of us law abiding citizens need to fight against it tooth and nail!!
They will be able to see every dollar we spend. Which can be used to destory our privacy…and eliminate the need for probable cause to search and seizure. No investigation needed. Just search a name..”hmm they bought mein kampf….maybe we should press hate crime charges.” We are crossing into literal thought crime territory.
You can say..”we have nothing to hide…” but with countries making normal things illegal “hate speech.”
We all need to slow down. And think. What is the real benefit from this operation? Will it cause more harm than good? What will be the consequences? What types of unconstitutional techniques does this normalize? Who benefits from said actions being allowed? Who gains more power or votes?
I recommend two books about the current state of things. One is about the CCP and their strategies..written by a man who was the American military attache in China for a few years. Robert Spalding. Check oug his interview on “Valuetainment,” YouTube channel…book called “STEALTH WAR:HOW CHINA TOOK OVER WHILE AMERICA’S ELITE SLEPT.” 100% everyone should read. We forget..that we allow CCP puppet corporations..and the CCP itself to get away, and do, all sorts of things we would never let the USSR to do…
That “The Art of War,” book pushes..”best to win a war before the start of any battle, and without bloodshed.” USA has literally been under attack for over 40 years..and we have just been taking it.
Other book was by a UK citizen raised and radicalized in the UK. “Amongst the Mosques.” He travels to different parts of UK and reveals..how insular and non British some communities are. Quite literally colonies of Pakistan. He even had his best friend be a suicide bomber… That woman can not go out alone on those streets..massive gender segregation..and sharia ls law..not UK law. He mentions a few communities..where the people are citizens of the UK first, and muslims second.. But the book is very much worth the read.. they do not make it public that about 50% of UK muslims practice the same branch of islam that the Taliban do. It was a politically created denomination in Pakistan..made to oppose everything that is western..to oppose the British colonizers of the time. DEF read the book.
But with this break down of privacy and our rights..a very pro islam..yet anti extremism and anti hate books.. can be made illegal/ an arrest able offense !
Hell. Even super hateful books should not get your home searched!
Do y’all remember the drama about people having their library book checkout history being searched??? How have we gone from that being scandalous…to having all of our communication spied on?
Plus. If gov can create a back down to expose our encrypted data…BAD CRIMINALS CAN DO IT TO!
SO TERRFYING.
this whole operation is a bad precedent!!
@Victoria Williams so you’re saying the Mafia gotta create their own OS? 😆🤣
Yeah right even the Mexicans figured out how to make their own secure communications
I just watched a documentary about organized crime where they showed the criminals getting these phones with this exact app. The people doing the documentary had no clue it was government run
That’s hilarious
Wow!
Wow.
Or did they? They may have been FBI ops themselves.
@A M replying cuz i wanna know the name too!
I like how they had a side hustle charging the criminals a monthly service fee to use these trap phones.
@Put Drug Dealers In Prison For Life You have the same energy for The Sackler family drug cartel? Cause they killed over 500 thousand Americans and addicted millions all they got was a fine! Got also got to keep some of the profits our government had to wet their beaks first. F@#k both parties!☠️🐑😆
@Clooz You didn’t have to spend so much time and effort putting this post together. We all know that our privacy went down the drain when the Patriot Act took effect.
Narco traffickers are ssoooo stupid.
exactly a great way to fund the investigation for travel expenses and etc…
If they didn’t it would have been more suspicious
How about doing an app for politicians the real criminals!?
@Blacks WakingUP!
Most black people don’t vote and this post wants to see them locked up not campaigning. I voted for the first time in all these decades because yall somehow let a crook and a conman in smh.
Exactly c.I.a F.B.I etc
The biggest criminals in the world work for government entities like the CIA FBI – GOVT entities don’t like when small time dealers & trafficker’s get in on their action and profit$.
What has happen is president Donald J. Trump A few days before leaving the White House, on January 14, Donald Trump would sign the act known in the United States as “Insurrection Act”, which confers special emergency powers to the President of the United States in order to quell rebellions and acts that can harm the sovereignty of the country.- The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a United States federal law that empowers the President of the United States to deploy U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or rebellion. U.S.A. in under Martial Military Law. BIDEN IN NOT THE USA PRESIDENT. — NOW YOU NOW THE REST OF THE STORY ~ TRUTH ZONE
@Melanin Magdalene My , my S was hat real proof do you have that “President Trump is anything less than the best President in our Lifetime! “ That is Direct quote from the Infamous Black Scholar Herman Cain speaking in public on his thoughts about Donald J Trump! Show me The proof! Just say I’m from Missouri!
@MOKO OH what rights are you thinking you lost! Not, what the rich shite left wing Marxist are lying to you about! Which rights??? Please be specific! No generalities the dems hide behind when facing an intellectual debate!
I hope they can take down the car warranty phone call people next ! Sick of that nonsense everyday
Amen!!!!
The real criminals
Do they own that business also?
@Princess Tiarra it’s everyone that has your email..
Apps tell you that they’ll sell your info..
Amen
Their accent when their being serious just sounds sooo dope
@The Paella King yes. Exactly.
They are* being serious.
@The Paella King how do you have two likes lmao that’s right
They sound nowhere near as stupid as someone who uses the word ‘dope’.
Ikr! I’ve never heard an Aussie accent with authority until this video
@Greatest Ever they probably liked they’re…I mean their* own comment.
It’s like these guys never watched an episode of The Wire.
https://youtu.be/3sL2x8NPyb8
IKR making all that money but they dumb as hell
I have yet to see a criminal even read a book.
This is why I can’t buy weed on grub hub…
gots to have a trusty bud for the ganja fix.👽 all else sketchy.😬🏃♂️ when it’s mainstream, you will be upstream with no paddle or blunt.😥 my 👩⚕️ never failed me and kissing the sky is a daily ascent.😁🕺✌😎
@Sshza 214 i’ve smoked everyday for the past 20 years. nothings worse than stoners than talk in riddles thinking they are hip.
@Brandon Dayon Truth. It’s a zoomer thing.
“Made by the FBI” ? That’s truly cool ! I have a feeling that somebody here in the U.S. told the FBI not to use it here.
They use to use pigeons , until they turned
“ STOOL PIGEON “ on them .
lmao,,,,sweet
The canary that sang but couldn’t fly.
The only thing they are missing is Chris Hansen walking out from the other room.
It feels like “hundreds of criminals” worth a sting on this scale, should be worth more than “tens of millions” of dollars.
This always seemed like a natural occurrence, to me. I am just surprised it has taken this long to come out. 🤣😂
Not much of a secret anymore
“See how tech platforms and CIA started and maintained post-adolescent riots with the Pokemon Go app..”
Might as well been using my pops “jitterbug” phone.
The war on drugs is a failure. The drug trade is all about supply and demand. All those guys they’ve arrested, have probably already been replaced with new guys 😂
Sometimes they build the demand and clientele Opioids epidemic. Gary Webb told us about the CIA dealing cocaine on a massive scale in America and the motherf@#kers never stopped.
And drugs will be more expensive. But there is always demand. The answer is right there in front of us but nothing has changed.