Hundreds arrested, guns, drugs and millions in cash seized after joint operation targets crime gangs

<p>More than 200 people suspected of being involved in organised crime have been arrested after police infiltrated an app to access millions of messages about “industrial scale” drug imports and murder plots.</p> <p>A joint operation between Australia and the FBI, which began in 2018, led to arrests in Asia, South America and the Middle East.</p> <p>Australian officials said the investigation had “struck a heavy blow against organised crime – not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world”.</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>Among those arrested are suspects with links to Australian-based Italian mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime.</p> <p>“This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history,” prime minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.</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>Australia did not give any details on arrests in other countries but said Interpol and the FBI would hold news conferences later.</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"> More than 100 firearms were seized in the raids (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>The plan saw officials in the US take control of a messaging app called ANOM, which authorities said was popular with organised criminals.</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>When an Australian underworld figure begun distributing the app to his associates as a secure means to communicate, law enforcement authorities could monitor all their messages.</p> <p>“We have been in the back pockets of organised crime,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said.</p> <p>“All they talk about is drugs, violence, hits on each other, innocent people who are going to be murdered.”</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-ironside_5408613.jpg?20210608050221" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-australia-ironside_5408613.jpg?20210608050221 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-australia-ironside_5408613.jpg?20210608050221 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-australia-ironside_5408613.jpg?20210608050221 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-australia-ironside_5408613.jpg?20210608050221 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"> Officers also recovered almost $35m (£24.7m) in cash (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>Mr Kershaw said one murder plot involved plans to target a cafe with a machine gun, while a family of five was also targeted.</p> <p>He added: “Today, Australia is a much safer country because of the extraordinary outcome under Operation Ironside.</p> <p>“It highlights how devastatingly effective the AFP is when it works with local and global partners, and takes its fight against trans-national organised crime offshore.</p> <p>“This world-first operation will give the AFP, state and territory police years of intelligence and evidence.</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-x-a_5408609.jpg?20210608045950" srcset="https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/384x216/skynews-x-a_5408609.jpg?20210608045950 380w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/768x432/skynews-x-a_5408609.jpg?20210608045950 760w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/1600x900/skynews-x-a_5408609.jpg?20210608045950 1024w, https://e3.365dm.com/21/06/2048x1152/skynews-x-a_5408609.jpg?20210608045950 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">Officials said the investigation had ‘struck a heavy blow against organised crime’ (Pic: AFP)</span><br /> </figcaption></figure> </div> <p>“There is also the potential for a number of cold cases to be solved because of Operation Ironside.”</p> <p>A total of 224 people were arrested and 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 firearms as well as almost $35m (£24.7m) in cash were seized.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/news/2021/06/08/hundreds-arrested-guns-drugs-and-millions-in-cash-seized-after-joint-operation-targets-crime-gangs/">Hundreds arrested, guns, drugs and millions in cash seized after joint operation targets crime gangs</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://patabook.com/news">Patabook News </a>.</p>

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