Europol takes down "Ghost" encrypted messaging platform used for crime

Europol and law enforcement from nine countries dismantled 'Ghost', an encrypted communications platform used by organized-crime groups for drug trafficking and money laundering; the operation discovered servers in France and Iceland, identified operators in Australia, seized assets and devices, and resulted in 51 arrests and the disruption of the platform's resale network. The report highlights Ghost’s multi-layer encryption, message self-destruction, cryptocurrency-paid subscriptions and warns that takedowns fragment the encrypted-communications ecosystem as criminals migrate to alternative tools.