Operation Trojan Shield
Operation Trojan Shield ( English for Operation Trojan Shield ), partly Operational Task Force Greenlight or operation Ironside called a joint operation called numerous law enforcement agencies against international organized crime . The operation was largely carried out by the US FBI , the Dutch police , the Swedish police and law enforcement agencies from 16 other countries in cooperation with the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and supported by Europolcarried out. The operation resulted in over 800 arrests and the search of over 700 buildings in 16 countries in early June 2021. The seizures included eight tons of cocaine , 22 tons of cannabis and cannabis resin , 2 tons of synthetic drugs ( amphetamines ), 6 tons of synthetic drug raw materials , 250 firearms, 55 luxury cars and over 48 million dollars in cash and crypto in various currencies. According to Europol, Operation Trojan Shield is "one of the greatest police operations ever".
procedure
While providers of encrypted messengers or crypto phones as EncroChat could be hacked, Phantom Secure and Sky ECC by the police and then closed, the FBI developed in cooperation with the Australian Federal Police a different encryption from 2019 app called ANOM (also written ΛNØM , Leetspeak An0m ) continued with a backdoor and established this in the criminal milieu over the years.
The FBI field office in San Diego had managed to recruit an informant as part of the Phantom Secure break-up. He had sold crypto cell phones and related apps to criminal networks and was in the process of developing ANOM . To avoid jail time, he offered the FBI to use the app and his existing, trusting customer network for distribution. According to US court documents, the convicted informant received a reward of $ 120,000 plus around $ 60,000 in expenses.
The FBI then founded a company of the same name, which delivered more than 12,000 encrypted devices from Panama to over 300 criminal gangs in more than 100 countries. In the course of 18 months, investigators were able to read 27 million messages that criminals believed to be safe from eavesdropping. As reported by the Australian media, an IT expert from the Australian Federal Police developed the idea of an operation at the beer table with FBI agents.
Investigation results
Germany
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office , 150 objects were searched in Germany and 70 suspects were arrested. They are accused of trafficking in arms and drugs.
Australia
In Australia, 4,500 officers carried out 500 house searches. Over 200 suspects were charged and several tons of drugs, over 100 firearms and the equivalent of more than 28 million euros in cash and objects were confiscated.
Austria
On June 9, 2021, Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer ( ÖVP ) and Justice Minister Alma Zadić ( Greens ) announced that the operation had resulted in 67 house searches and 81 arrests in Austria. At the national level, the operation was called "Operation Achilles". Most of the accesses took place in the federal states of Vienna , Lower Austria , Salzburg and Vorarlberg . After carrying out observations, telephone surveillance and international data comparisons, 400 investigators and members of special forces across Austria were deployed on the day of action on June 8, 2021. A total of 707 kilos of addictive substances, 35 weapons and 650,000 euros in cash were seized . The addictive substances seized consist of 30 kg of cocaine , 26 kg of heroin , 60 kg of excipients , 261 kg of cannabis resin and 390 kg of marijuana . On the day of the action, 13 suspects were arrested, and pre -trial detention has already been imposed. On the day of the press conference , another 15 people were admitted to the Josefstadt prison .
Web links
- AN0M: FBI identified hundreds of suspected criminals thanks to a manipulated encryption app. Cipherbrain from June 9, 2021.
Footnotes
- ↑ 800 criminals arrested in biggest ever law enforcement operation against encrypted communication. Europol , June 8, 2021, accessed June 8, 2021 .
- ^ A b Trojan Shield: Europol details massive organized crime sting. Deutsche Welle , June 8, 2021, accessed June 8, 2021 (English).
- ↑ a b c FBI lured criminals into the chat trap - with self-developed crypto cell phones. Der Spiegel , June 8, 2021, accessed June 8, 2021 .
- ↑ Mega raid: Europol and FBI set spectacular traps. Berliner Morgenpost , June 8, 2021, accessed on June 8, 2021 .
- ^ "Operation Ironside": Police tricked criminals with an app. tagesschau.de , June 9, 2021, accessed June 10, 2021 .
- ↑ a b With fake app AN0M against drug trafficking: raids in 16 countries. heise online , June 8, 2021, accessed June 8, 2021 .
- ^ Operation "Trojan Shield": 81 arrests in Austria as well. In: news.orf.at. Retrieved June 9, 2021 .
- ↑ Vanessa Gaigg: Operation "Trojan Shield": 81 arrests in Austria, 707 kilos of drugs seized. In: derstandard.at. Retrieved June 9, 2021 .