A plan devised over beers in a US pub has led to the arrest of hundreds of suspected criminals who paid a subscription to use an FBI-run app.
"Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers," AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said at a media briefing on Tuesday
He was speaking about a joint AFP and FBI investigation that saw the ANOM app installed into mobile phones and distributed by so-called “criminal influencers” who unknowingly promoted its use.
Scott Morrison has used a stunning international organised crime bust to pressure the opposition to back new wide-ranging surveillance powers. Source: AAP
The app gave police a front-row seat into chats about murder plots, drug smuggling and money laundering.
“They build the app so that the device could do nothing else. It couldn't make telephone calls or couldn't surf the web,” said Nigel Phair, Director of Enterprise at UNSW Institute for Cyber Security.
“It was all about working together, being creative and being disruptive.”
Police announced yesterday that 224 people in Australia were arrested, including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafia groups and Asian crime syndicates.
As part of the operation, the AFP also seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons, $44,934,457 million in cash, and assets expected to run into the millions of dollars.
Additionally, it acted on 20 threats to kill, with intelligence referred to state police agencies that took immediate action.
‘The future of policing’
It’s not the first time that authorities have tricked suspected criminals into using monitored encrypted apps.
Mr Phair said the English police did a similar thing, on a smaller scale, about a year ago.
“But it was just an app, it wasn’t a whole device,” he said.
“The fact that this time it was its own device really upped the believability scale.”
Referring to the operation, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Tuesday he believes encryption legislation needs to be reformed.
"There are a series of pieces of legislation that we've been seeking to move through the Parliament, not just over this term, but in some cases, over three terms; they need these powers to do their job,” Mr Morrison said.
“The AFP and our law enforcement agencies and other agencies that support them need the support of our Parliament to continue to do the job that they do to keep Australians safe.”
Encrypted messaging apps and untraceable cryptocurrencies are making the job of policing more difficult, Mr Phair said. However, he believes increasing police powers is not the solution.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews. Source: SBS News
Mr Phair said this operation showed police can get around this issue by being inventive.
“Encryption is good in society. When you’re doing internet banking, it is end-to-end encryption,” Mr Phair explained.
“It’s a good thing for everyone but we keep getting told there are pedophiles and terrorists out there and police need more powers.”
While Mr Phair said he applauded police efforts, the public should also be told about unsuccessful operations.
“We’re not being told that next level of detail,” he said.
“Tell me about the investigations that couldn’t take place, tell me about the matter that fell over in court. There’s lots of other avenues of inquiry available to agencies.”
Mr Phair said that while there are organised serious criminals who are adept at covering their tracks, there’s also a lot of criminals who leave “breadcrumbs all over the place.”
“Technology has enabled so much for criminals but it’s also enabled a lot for law enforcement.”
“I’m a firm believer that the more online you are, the more digital footprints you leave and the more avenue of inquiry law enforcement and national security agencies have got.”
