TL;DR Breakdown
• The global drug ring was arrested by Operation Trojan Shield, successfully seizing many drugs in 16 countries.
• More than $48 million in cryptocurrencies could also be recovered thanks to this operation.
Law enforcement authorities worldwide joined forces in Operation Trojan Shield to seize 5 tons of cannabis, 6 tons of cocaine, and 2 tons of methamphetamine. In addition, they recovered millions of dollars in various digital currencies.
This operation is a 3-year investigation with a courier named ANOM. This service was supposed to be safe, but in reality, it was controlled by law enforcement authorities.
The police created this ANOM messaging service, and nobody knew about it. For everyone, it was an ordinary encryption service like any other on the market. This operation is coordinated and emphasized regulated repression of criminal groups.
Operation Trojan Shield accomplished its objectives
The mission had huge success with the seizure of tons of drugs and over $48 million in cryptocurrencies. They arrested almost 800 criminals in 16 countries to meet the objectives of this investigation.
Law enforcement authorities seized millions of cryptocurrencies from over 300 criminal and illegal syndicates. Global raids were ordered and coordinated through Interpol.
Operation Trojan Shield is distinguished from other raids because it violates the concept of app encryption. All criminals in the world believed they were safe, but the police were watching every move.
All the agencies involved carried out important work with one of the largest police operations in history. Europol Deputy Executive Director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe has said the agency would carry out multiple spin-off operations in the coming weeks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) teamed up with the Australian Federal Police in 2019 to develop an encrypted messaging service called ANOM.
Nobody in the world knew that the police authorities had created this service. The network developer was an informant and used his contacts to spread the word on the street.
It became a large company that provided over 12,000 devices and 300 syndicates or criminal associations in various world countries.
ANOM’s goal was to provide criminals with a secure, encrypted device so that they can trust their operations. The courier company discreetly viewed all the messages they sent to continue their Operation Trojan Shield and wait to act.
With over 45,000 photos and over 27 million messages, the police authorities had all the information they needed for their operation. In 2020, authorities could compromise the encryption of networks such as Sky ECC and EncroChat, to leave criminals with fewer alternatives, and they had to join ANOM.
With the rise of cryptocurrencies, the world’s governments and authorities are concerned about the abuse of its use by criminals. Operation Trojan Shield was a severe blow to global criminal networks and their use of cryptocurrencies.
