South Australia Rounds Up Another 55 Suspects After High Court Backs Encrypted-App Sting
South Australian authorities arrested 55 individuals over the weekend as part of Operation Ironside, a long-term investigation into organized crime that utilized intelligence from an encrypted messaging app called AN0M. The operation follows a recent ruling by the High Court confirming that messages intercepted from the app can be used as evidence in legal proceedings. Approximately 800 new charges related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and conspiracy have been filed, increasing the scope of the investigation, which has involved around A$58 million (US$37.9 million) in crypto seizures. Launched in 2018 by the Australian Federal Police and the FBI, Operation Ironside capitalized on a secretly controlled platform that allowed law enforcement to capture messages before they were encrypted. In total, about 19.3 million messages were processed, revealing extensive criminal communication networks. The High Court's ruling was crucial, as it confirmed the legality of the intercepted communications, enabling ongoing use in various criminal cases. The operation has also highlighted the challenges law enforcement faces in addressing sophisticated criminal use of cryptocurrency.
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