Australian man arrested for spreading WhatsApp for Criminals app

Sydney:

An Australian man has been charged with distributing the encrypted messaging app Ghost, which was allegedly used by criminals around the world to organize drug deals and violence, police said on Wednesday.

The Ghost app was marketed to underworld figures as “unhackable” and used by hundreds of suspected criminals from Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

It was reportedly designed by a 32-year-old Australian computer genius who lives with his parents in a Sydney suburb.

Australian Federal Police said on Wednesday they had arrested a 47-year-old man “suspected to be a distributor” of the app.

Encrypted phones were preloaded with Ghost before the man hid them in “dead spots” or predetermined hiding places for pickup, police said.

Police agencies around the world managed to infiltrate the network by watching criminals discuss illegal drug trafficking, money laundering, homicides and serious violence.

In September, police attacked and arrested criminals from Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Canada and Australia – including Jay Je Yoon Jung, the alleged “mastermind”.

Ghost, a type of WhatsApp for criminals, was developed nine years ago and was only accessible through modified smartphones that sold for about $1,590.

French police investigated the originator's whereabouts in Australia and teamed up with local police to target the platform.

According to Europol, several thousand people around the world used Ghost and around 1,000 messages were exchanged about it every day.

In Australia alone there were 376 phones with the Ghost app installed.

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