The damning text messages sent by bikies, drug lords, and contract killers on what they thought was a secure messaging app have been released by the FBI.
On Tuesday night, US authorities revealed text exchanges between Australian criminals organising a cocaine deal sent on the ANOM messaging app.
It comes after a global operation saw 800 criminal figures arrested across the world on Monday, including 224 Australians on 526 charges in what the AFP called Operation Ironside.
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The FBI developed an encrypted messaging app called ANOM three years ago that was used by criminal gangs, allowing federal agents to monitor their every move in real time.
Passing on relevant information to Australian authorities, the AFP uncovered 21 murder plots, gun distribution and mass drug trafficking operations in Australia.
An incriminating thread of messages shows two criminals discussing a cocaine deal.
The criminals even snapped a picture of the cocaine stash and shared it on the messaging platform.
“Thi(n)k he got it in,” read the first message.
“Your (sic) dreaming. You reckon. What he offer it to you for?”
The first person then shared the photo of a huge shipment of cocaine.
Another text exchange shared by authorities shows drug dealers discussing smuggling drugs into the country.
The plan was to dump the drugs in the ocean close to shore so they could be picked up by the other person on the text chat at a later date.
“I have a cargo ship with captain on side too, they want to throw over load as they leave,” the person said.
“So once tug boats release the pilot boat guides him out to sea once pilot boat leaves we msg saying throw then they’ll throw right away.
“Can you do this? If so, what is your fee,”
The other person agrees to collect the drugs once they’ve been thrown overboard.
“Yes they can definitely catch it. They charge 20% door fee.”
ANOM messaging app
Deputy Commissioner David Hudson of NSW Police said gang members used ANOM for all manner of criminal dealings.
“They’ve been referring to drugs, they’ve been referring to contract killings, they’ve been referring to criminality quite openly, sharing photographs believing they were going undetected,” he told media on Tuesday.
Asstistant Commissioner Stuart Smith of NSW State Crime Command couldn’t agree more.
“Having access to this system was like peering through a crystal ball and seeing the way the mindset is of organised crime,” he said.
The AFP seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and almost $45 million in cash as part of the operation which began in 2018.
ANOM was used by 300 criminal syndicates across the world.
Since its inception three years ago, 27 million messages have been sent.
It has 12,000 users in total.
A final message to users went out saying that if they wished to enter their account details, they could learn how their account was monitored as part of the investigation.
Users even had to pay a monthly subscription fee - which went straight into the FBI’s pocket.
‘Criminal influencers’
Police thanked “criminal influencers” for accidentally adding to the app’s popularity in the shady underworld, by vouching for its integrity.
“These criminal influencers put the AFP in the back pocket of hundreds of alleged offenders,” the AFP said.
“Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting ANOM and openly communicating on it – not knowing we were watching the entire time.”
Fugitive drug lord Hakan Ayik was key to the success of the operation - after he was duped into using the app and recommending it to his underworld connections.
Police also pushed criminals into using the app by shutting down other legitimate encrypted messaging platforms, to force them to use ANOM.
Australian police praised in global operation
The Australian Federal Police were praised by their US counterparts for their role in the major crime bust.
Suzanne Turner, FBI San Diego Field Agent, said on Tuesday: “I want to specifically recognise the Australia Federal Police for their outstanding strategic partnership in recent years across many cases.
“Operation Trojan Shield came to life with the collaboration and the technical ingenuity they brought to the table.
“We would not be where we are today without them.”
More than 4000 members from the AFP and state and territory police were involved in the execution of hundreds or warrants on June 7, three years after Operation Ironside covertly began.
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