Alleged drug kingpin told to hand himself in after being tricked into spreading fake phone app

<p>An alleged Australian drug kingpin who was tricked into revealing information about hundreds of organised criminals has been told to hand himself in for his own safety.</p> <p>Hakan Ayik – who is believed to now be living in Turkey – thought he was helping criminal associates when he suggested they use an <strong><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/hundreds-arrested-murder-plots-thwarted-and-drugs-seized-after-criminals-duped-into-using-app-monitored-by-police-12327609" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encrypted communications app</a></strong>.</p> <p>What he did not know was that he had been duped Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers and the FBI.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-anom-criminal-gangs_5409238.jpg?20210608172531" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-anom-criminal-gangs_5409238.jpg?20210608172531 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-anom-criminal-gangs_5409238.jpg?20210608172531 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-anom-criminal-gangs_5409238.jpg?20210608172531 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-anom-criminal-gangs_5409238.jpg?20210608172531 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="The ANOM app supposedly offered secure encrypted messaging. Source: Australian Federal Police"> </div><figcaption class="sdc-article-image__caption"> <span class="sdc-article-image__visually-hidden">Image:</span><br /> <span class="sdc-article-image__caption-text">The ANOM app supposedly offered secure encrypted messaging. Source: Australian Federal Police (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>Ayik was given a phone handset with the ANOM app on it by undercover agents, and then recommended the messaging service to other criminal associates.</p> <p>“He was identified because of his standing within the underworld,” a senior investigator quoted by the Australian Telegraph said.</p> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region " data-interscroller="true" data-format="floated-mpu" data-role="sticky-region" data-component-name="sdc-site-layout"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__target"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__mask"> <div class="sdc-site-layout-sticky-region__content"> <div class="sdc-site-au-wrapper "> <div class="sdc-site-au site-component-vertical-margin" data-ad-format="mpu-1" data-type="" aria-hidden="true"> <p> <span class="sdc-site-au__label-text" data-label-text="Advertisement">Advertisement</span> </p> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> <p>“He was a primary target as someone who was trusted and was going to be able to successfully distribute this platform.”</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-operation-ironside_5408607.jpg?20210608045850" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-operation-ironside_5408607.jpg?20210608045850 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-operation-ironside_5408607.jpg?20210608045850 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-operation-ironside_5408607.jpg?20210608045850 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-operation-ironside_5408607.jpg?20210608045850 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt=" "> </div><figcaption class="sdc-article-image__caption"> <span class="sdc-article-image__visually-hidden">Image:</span><br /> <span class="sdc-article-image__caption-text">Guns were seized during the raids (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>However, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has said this how now made him a target.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-related-stories" data-component-name="sdc-article-related-stories"> <div class="sdc-article-related-stories__content"> <h3 class="sdc-article-related-stories__title">More on Australia</h3> </p></div> </div> <p>“Given the threat he faces, he’s best off handing himself into us as soon as he can,” he said.</p> <p>“He was one of the coordinators of this particular device, so he’s essentially set up his own colleagues.</p> <p>“The sooner he hands himself in, the better for him and his family.”</p> <p>Hundreds of people have been arrested and murder plots thwarted after criminal gangs were duped into using the app.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-australia-operation-ironside_5408616.jpg?20210608050751" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-australia-operation-ironside_5408616.jpg?20210608050751 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-australia-operation-ironside_5408616.jpg?20210608050751 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-australia-operation-ironside_5408616.jpg?20210608050751 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-australia-operation-ironside_5408616.jpg?20210608050751 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="In total, around 3.7 tonnes of drugs were found during the raids Pic: AFP)"> </div><figcaption class="sdc-article-image__caption"> <span class="sdc-article-image__visually-hidden">Image:</span><br /> <span class="sdc-article-image__caption-text">In total, around 3.7 tonnes of drugs were found during the raids (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>A joint investigation led by the FBI, Europol and AFP saw US officials take control of the encrypted messaging app called ANOM in 2018.</p> <p>The plan was conceived after the FBI took down a previous secure app favoured by criminals – Phantom Secure.</p> <p>It saw ANOM downloaded on to special mobile phones that were then bought my criminals on the black market, with the encrypted messaging service hidden within the calculator feature.</p> <p>There were believed to be around 12,000 of the devices circulating and users required a code from an existing user to access the app, creating an element of trust.</p> <p>Police forces worldwide were then able to access 27 million messages – exposing the work of organised crime syndicates in more than 100 countries, Europol’s deputy director of operations said on Tuesday.</p> <div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-article-image"> <figure class="sdc-article-image__figure"> <div class="sdc-article-image__wrapper" data-aspect-ratio="16/9"> <img class="sdc-article-image__item" loading="lazy" intrinsicsize="768x432" src="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-australia-crime-us_5408621.jpg?20210609024031" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-australia-crime-us_5408621.jpg?20210609024031 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-australia-crime-us_5408621.jpg?20210609024031 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-australia-crime-us_5408621.jpg?20210609024031 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-australia-crime-us_5408621.jpg?20210609024031 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 1024px, 100vw" alt="Australian police arrest over 200 after cracking underworld messaging app (Pic: AFP)"> </div><figcaption class="sdc-article-image__caption"> <span class="sdc-article-image__visually-hidden">Image:</span><br /> <span class="sdc-article-image__caption-text">Australian police arrest over 200 after cracking underworld messaging app (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>The operation has been described as “one of the largest and sophisticated” in Europol’s history.</p> <p>It involved:</p> <p>• More than 20,000 encrypted devices used by 300 criminals across more than 100 countries<br />• 27 million messages reviewed over 18 months<br />• At least 800 arrests across 700 searched locations</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/news/2021/06/09/alleged-drug-kingpin-told-to-hand-himself-in-after-being-tricked-into-spreading-fake-phone-app/">Alleged drug kingpin told to hand himself in after being tricked into spreading fake phone app</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/news">Patabook News </a>.</p>

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