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Australian police did not announce a universal way to decrypt encrypted messaging apps. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said it developed a technical solution to access Ghost devices active in Australia and capture communications. A coordinated international operation in September 2024 led to 51 arrests across four countries; later reports counted more people charged in Australia as the investigation continued.
What was Ghost?
Eurojust described Ghost as a dedicated encrypted communications service used for criminal activities. According to Eurojust, users could buy it without providing personal information; it used three encryption standards and multiple private servers, and a code-triggered feature could erase messages from a target phone. Those are law-enforcement agency descriptions, not findings from a public, independent technical audit.
AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney characterized Ghost as a closed service rather than a mainstream consumer platform, saying it was “not like WhatsApp and those other platforms” and that participation involved criminals suspected of serious offences. That was his enforcement characterization, not a neutral comparison of the apps’ encryption systems.
How did Australian police access Ghost communications?
The AFP said its investigation began in 2022. An operational taskforce at Europol was established in March that year, with law-enforcement participation from Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.
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The AFP’s 2024–25 annual report says the live data-collection phase began in March 2024. Investigators used an internally developed technical solution to collect data from Ghost devices active in Australia. In an ABC interview published on 18 September 2024, AFP Commander Paula Hudson said: “We were able to develop a technical innovation to infiltrate the platform in the user’s handsets and devices. We were able to capture messages, sent and received, photographs, videos as they were taking place.”
Public accounts do not explain the precise vulnerability, code changes or technical process in enough detail to reproduce it. The AFP described a targeted operation involving Ghost devices; its account does not establish that police had a general method for defeating encryption on ordinary messaging apps.
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What happened in the September 2024 operation?
Coordinated actions on 17 and 18 September 2024 led to Ghost’s takedown and arrests. Eurojust’s release of 18 September reported 51 arrests across four countries:
| Country | Arrests reported by Eurojust |
|---|---|
| Australia | 38 |
| Ireland | 11 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Total | 51 |
ABC reporting distinguished Ghost from ANOM: AFP officials described Ghost as an existing platform, whereas law enforcement had taken control of ANOM. The two operations therefore should not be treated as the same kind of intervention.
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How many people were arrested or charged?
The totals vary because they refer to different dates and measures. Eurojust’s 51 figure was an international arrest count on 18 September 2024. Later AFP and parliamentary reporting gave Australian charge counts as investigations continued. An arrest is not the same as a charge, and a charge is an allegation—not a finding of guilt.
| Reporting point | Figure | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2024 — Eurojust | 51 | Arrests across Australia, Ireland, Italy and Canada |
| 14 December 2024 — AFP | 52 | People charged in Australia, according to the AFP |
| As of 31 December 2025 — AFP evidence cited by Parliament of Australia in 2026 | 55 | Offenders charged, according to the AFP evidence |
The AFP’s 14 December 2024 update also said investigators had identified nearly 400 Ghost devices operated in Australia and 162,000 messages over the app’s lifetime. It reported 50 threats to life or harm intervened in, 230 kg of drugs prevented from harming the community, 29 weapons, $3.4 million in cash seized and $24.37 million in assets restrained. These are AFP operational figures from that date, not court findings.
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For figures through 31 December 2025, AFP evidence cited at a parliamentary committee hearing in February 2026 reported 99 search warrants, 29 firearms and weapons seized, 50 threats to life prevented, 242 kg of drugs seized, $3.7 million in cash seized and $24.37 million in assets restrained. The differing drug figures use different reporting dates and descriptions; they should not be combined. These remain AFP-reported figures, not independent statistics about encrypted messaging or organised crime generally.
Was Ghost’s alleged creator convicted?
ABC reported that Jay Je Yoon Jung was charged as the alleged creator and administrator of Ghost. The sources cited here establish the charge and later investigation statistics, but do not establish a final court judgment or conviction in his case. The charges and police allegations should not be treated as proof of guilt.
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