The Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT), a division under the Australian Federal Police (AFP), has successfully seized AU$9.3M (~US$6.4M) in cryptocurrency in a crackdown targeting the mastermind behind Ghost encrypted messaging platform.
According to the Australian police, the Ghost communication platform was allegedly “built solely for the criminal underworld” to carry out illegal activities, such as drug trafficking and contract killings.
Australian Police Confiscated AU$9.3M (~US$6.4M) In Crypto from Ghost Messaging App
According to a press release issued yesterday, Wednesday, October 3rd, 2025, by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the law enforcement body announced that its Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) division has successfully confiscated AU$9.3M in crypto assets from Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, the alleged mastermind behind Ghost encrypted communication platform.
In the press release, AFP revealed that upon raiding Jung’s home, some digital devices were found and analyzed, and with the help of the CACT, they were able to decode the seed phrases to gain access to Jung’s cryptocurrency wallet.
Scott Raven, AFP acting Commander, warned,
Whether you have tried to hide them in real estate, cryptocurrency or cash, we will identify your ill-gotten goods and take them away from you, leaving you with nothing.
Afterward, the police stated that it transferred the seized funds to their cryptocurrency storage and will subsequently move the crypto asset to the government to support future law enforcement operations after seeking its permanent forfeiture.
This is a clear pointer that seed phrases are NOT SAFE.
Australian Police Arrested Jung Two Weeks Earlier
The Australian police previously announced that Jung was arrested on Tuesday, September 17th, as part of an investigation by AFP Operation Kraken. Another man who allegedly distributed the Ghost app was also arrested alongside Jung.
After his arrest, Jung was charged to a Sydney court on Wednesday, where he was slammed with five criminal offenses, which include supporting a criminal organization. If found guilty, Jung may end up bagging a 26-year prison sentence.
Jung’s arrest comes almost a month after French authorities arrested Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov over content censorship failures. Durov’s arrest warrant revealed that some content on Telegram may be related to illegal activities like money laundering or terrorism.
Ghost Messaging Platform Was Designed Specially For Criminals
The AFP alleged that Jung specially designed the Ghost messaging app for criminals and illicit activities and resells modified smartphones, with a six-month subscription to access the app and technical support, for AU$2,350 (~US$1,620).
Operation Kraken Is Not Affiliated With Kraken Crypto Exchange
Although the AFP codenamed the effort “Operation Kraken,” the operation has nothing to do with Kraken Exchange, one of the best crypto exchanges in the UK.
A spokesperson for AFP stated that “Operation Kraken was just an investigative operation into a dedicated encrypted communications platform.”Kraken exchange also revealed that it “has not been the subject of any Operation Kraken investigations.”
