55 New Arrests Made in Operation Ironside in AN0M App Sting After Court Ruling
Published
- New phase of arrests: South Australian police have arrested 55 more individuals in a new phase of Operation Ironside.
- Legal victory: Australia’s High Court recently ruled that evidence gathered from the AN0M app was lawfully obtained, paving the way for further prosecutions.
- Global sting operation: Operation Ironside involved the AN0M backdoored encrypted app, secretly distributed to criminal syndicates worldwide.
The international AN0M encrypted app sting, known as Operation Ironside in Australia, has entered a new phase, leading to dozens of fresh arrests. South Australian police recently took 55 people into custody, charging them with 813 offenses, primarily drug-related.
Legal Challenges and Future of the Operation
This development follows a landmark ruling by Australia’s High Court, which upheld the legality of the evidence gathered through the compromised AN0M messaging platform. The decision has prompted some previously arrested high-profile figures to enter guilty pleas, an ABC News report said.
Following the initial arrests, the legality of the evidence was challenged in court, with defendants arguing it constituted unlawful interception.
However, Australia's High Court ultimately ruled in favor of law enforcement, confirming the data was lawfully obtained and could be used in prosecutions.
“Since the commencement of Operation Ironside in 2021, SAPOL investigations have resulted in 109 individuals allegedly involved in serious criminal offending in South Australia being apprehended and more than $40 million worth of their assets being restrained,’’ Deputy Commissioner of Police Linda Williams said in an official press release.
“Another 55 individuals we allege are also involved in serious criminal activity, ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering, were arrested and more than $25 million in assets restrained.”
The total number of people arrested in SA as part of this operation reached 164.
The AN0M App and the Global Crime Crackdown
Operation Ironside (known internationally as Trojan Shield) was a sophisticated, multi-year investigation led by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that followed the takedown of Phantom Secure in 2018.
Law enforcement agencies secretly controlled the AN0M encrypted messaging app and distributed it within criminal networks. The app, which appeared to be a secure communication tool, was backdoored, allowing authorities to monitor millions of messages related to illicit activities.
The operation culminated in a massive global takedown in June 2021, leading to hundreds of arrests and the seizure of drugs, weapons, and millions in cash. In Australia alone, the app captured over 19 million messages.
The latest round of Operation Ironside arrests signals that authorities are continuing to process the millions of messages reviewed, with officials indicating that more arrests are anticipated.
In October, authorities made several significant arrests, including the Kido ransomware attack suspects, the suspected leader of the GXC Team phishing network, five members of the SIM Box cybercrime-as-a-service network, and Meduza Infostealer developers.
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