Users of an encrypted app in the United States had their messages protected from a global police sting that brought down hundreds of alleged Australia

Why no-one in America was arrested as part of Operation Ironside

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2021-06-14 23:30:09

Users of an encrypted app in the United States had their messages protected from a global police sting that brought down hundreds of alleged Australian criminals, a US court document reveals.

Operation Ironside — known internationally as Trojan Horse — used encrypted messaging service AN0M to lure criminals into revealing their secrets to police in a three-year global collaboration between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In Australia 251 alleged offenders were charged after raids across the country seized $45 million in assets and cash and almost 4 tonnes of drugs.

A document filed in the US District Court showed the FBI — with help from Australia and an unnamed third country — was spying on millions of messages in over 90 countries as part of the operation.

However, FBI agents were not allowed to download or read any messages sent from AN0M accounts in the United States because of privacy laws.

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