Australian police infiltrate encrypted messaging app Ghost and arrest dozens

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Australian police infiltrate encrypted messaging app Ghost and arrest dozens

2024-09-18 11:52 Last Updated At：12:01

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian police said Wednesday they have infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app developed for criminals, leading to dozens of arrests.

The app's alleged administrator, Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, appeared in a Sydney court Wednesday on charges including supporting a criminal organization and benefitting from proceeds of crime.

Jung did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail. He will remain behind bars until his case returns to court in November.

Australian police arrested 38 suspects in raids across four states in recent days while law enforcement agencies were also making arrests in Canada, Sweden, Ireland and Italy, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said.

“We allege hundreds of criminals including Italian organized crime, motorcycle gang members, Middle Eastern organized crime and Korean organized crime have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illicit drugs and order killings,” McCartney told reporters.

Australian police had prevented 50 people from being killed, kidnapped or seriously hurt by monitoring threats among 125,000 messages and 120 video calls since March, Assistant Commissioner Kirsty Schofield said.

Police allege the Jung developed the app specifically for criminal use in 2017.

Australia joined a Europol-led global taskforce targeting Ghost in 2022.

Col. Florian Manet, who heads France’s Home Affairs Ministry National Cyber Command Technical Department, said in a statement issued by Australian police that his officers provided technical resources to the task force over several years that helped decrypt the communications.

McCartney said the French had “provided a foot in the door” for Australian police to decrypt Ghost communications.

Australian police technicians were able to modify software updates regularly pushed out by the administrator, McCartney said.

“In effect, we infected the devices, enabling us to access the content on Australian devices,” McCartney said, adding that the alleged administrator lived in his parents’ Sydney home and had no police record.

Jung was arrested at his home on Tuesday.

Police say Jung used a network of resellers to offer specialized handsets to criminals around the world.

The modified smartphones sold for 2,350 Australian dollars ($1,590) which included a six-month subscription to Ghost and tech support.

This version has corrected the suspect's family name to Jung.

Barcelona wins at Osasuna and is on the cusp of La Liga title

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres scored late in Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Osasuna on Saturday that set up a chance for Hansi Flick’s side to be crowned Spanish league champions this weekend.

Barcelona opened a 14-point gap over Real Madrid with four rounds left after this weekend. Madrid must win at Espanyol on Sunday to stop Barcelona from clinching a second straight La Liga crown.

A victory by Madrid would prolong the title fight another week, when Barcelona hosts Madrid in a "clasico" match.

Substitute Marcus Rashford picked out a run by Lewandowski and placed a cross for the striker to thump in with a powerful header in the 81st minute.

That sparked a flurry of goals in the final minutes. Torres added a second goal five minutes later, and Raúl García headed in one for Osasuna in the 89th.

“We have put the pressure on Madrid,” Torres said.

Between wrapping it up now or having the chance to do so with a win over Madrid at Camp Nou, Torres said he was fine with celebrating a title from his home on Sunday if Madrid slips at Espanyol.

“For me I just want to be champions as soon as possible,” he said. “That way we can start celebrating.”

Flick said that his players “were celebrating” in the changing room at El Sadar Stadium.

“It is a huge victory for us,” said the former Bayern Munich coach, who is close to getting his second Spanish league title in as many seasons.

“We did our job today and this is what I want to see from my team,” Flick said.

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García made two key saves in the first half to keep it scoreless. Osasuna striker Ante Budimir also struck the post before halftime. It was only the third loss for 10th-placed Osasuna in Pamplona in the league this campaign.

Atletico Madrid rested most of its starters but got goals from two debutants as it won 2-0 at Valencia before it faces Arsenal for a place in the Champions League final.

Julián Álvarez, Alexander Sorloth and Giuliano Simeone, who all finished Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal with niggles, were among those players left off Atletico’s squad for the Spanish league game.

Atletico travels to London for the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.

Diego Simeone called up nine youth team players for the visit to Valencia, with Iker Luque and Miguel Cubo coming on in the second half and scoring in the 73rd and 82nd for the win at Mestalla Stadium.

Atletico defender Nahuel Molina almost scored one of the goals of the season when he let rip a powerful strike from near the midfield circle that smacked the corner of the goal frame in the first half.

Atletico remained in fourth place and on course for another Champions League berth next season. Valencia was 13th and still in danger of falling into a relegation battle.

The game at Valencia was Simeone's 1,000th as a coach, Atletico said, with 795 at the Spanish club where he has been in charge since 2011.

Ernesto Valverde also coached his 500th game for Athletic Bilbao when he oversaw a 4-2 win at Alaves, with Spain winger Nico Williams scoring twice.

Both are club records.

Simeone posted on X that he was “grateful to all the people who have accompanied and helped me reach this figure (players, colleagues, club executives, fans) since I started coaching in 2006.”

Athletic’s players wore shirts with their mothers’ last names on them to mark Mother’s Day, which is held Sunday in Spain.

Villarreal guaranteed it will finish in the top four spots and play in Europe's elite club tournament for a second straight season after routing Levante 5-1.

Georges Mikautadze scored a double for third-placed Villarreal.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer