Hundreds arrested in ‘staggering’ global crime sting
In all, officials said, they raked in some 27 million messages on phones which were used “exclusively” by criminals.
Cops in 16 countries were able to read the messages of underworld figures as they plotted drug deals, arms transfers and gangland hits on the compromised ANOM devices.
Mafia groups, Asian crime syndicates, motorcycle gangs and other criminal networks were all monitored using the spiked phones as part of “Operation Trojan Shield.”
The sting, jointly conceived by Australia and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, prevented around 150 murders, foiled several large-scale narcotics shipments and led to seizures of 250 weapons and $48 million in currency, they added.
h/t NotStarvingActress