Sydney man charged over alleged fake terror plot as AFP crack secret messaging app

A Sydney man has been charged for allegedly using an encrypted messaging platform called "Ghost" to fabricate a terror plot as police swooped on multiple targets after breaching an "un-hackable" system.

The alleged fabricated plot involved high-powered weapons and explosive devices and had been devised to get authorities to withdraw charges for a person involved in a separate criminal matter, Australian federal police said.

"It will be alleged messages captured on the encrypted device detailed conversations about accessing machine guns, bombs, hand grenades, rocket launchers and flags with terrorist insignia as part of the conspiracy," the AFP said in a statement.

The 31-year-old from North Rocks in Sydney's west was arrested on Tuesday. The AFP alleged he was a senior member of a criminal syndicate and conspired to fabricate a terrorist plot between March and April.

The AFP also alleged he attempted to import 42kg of cocaine, concealed in two refrigerated shipping containers, into Sydney during the same period.

He was charged with a string of offences, including two counts of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. He was refused bail and was expected to return to court on 26 September.

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On Tuesday and Wednesday the AFP arrested dozens of Australians allegedly linked to the encrypted messaging network known as Ghost.

The platform was allegedly administered by an Australian, 32-year-old Jay Je Yoon Jung. The AFP alleged hundreds of people have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illicit drugs and carry out other crimes. Jung was arrested and charged on Tuesday.

In another Sydney raid, police arrested men allegedly involved in a criminal syndicate.

A Mortlake man, 24, was allegedly a principal member of the syndicate and the largest supplier of the encrypted communications platform.

It is alleged he was responsible for supplying 157 encrypted devices across New South Wales.

Police allege a Dulwich Hill man, 31, was also a reseller of the devices and a significant financial backer of the drug trafficking syndicates.

The AFP will allege members of the group were involved in two online groups.

The first online group, named "Flower Power", allegedly trafficked and coordinated a plot to possess $170,000 worth of cocaine.

The second group, known as "Pot Run Operations", allegedly trafficked more than 125kg of cannabis between February 2023 and July 2024 and profited more than $500,000 from their ventures.

The AFP was tipped off about Ghost by international authorities in 2022. It had been marketed to users as "an un-hackable network", the AFP said.

As of Tuesday morning, 38 people had been arrested in Australia. Most alleged offenders were in NSW but the AFP said alleged Ghost users were also in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT.

In Victoria, three members of an alleged criminal syndicate were charged with serious drug offences as part of the investigation into Ghost.

Police allege the syndicate used the platform to plan and execute illicit drug supply and distribution operations across the state.

The syndicate allegedly used Ghost to traffic about 128kg of methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA between January and June.

Two Melbourne businessmen – a 36-year-old Docklands man who police allege is the ringleader of the syndicate, and a 34-year-old Keysborough man – plus a Dallas man, 32, were arrested at their homes.

The men were charged with multiple offences, including trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine. The maximum penalty for the trafficking offence is life imprisonment.

Two Victorian men were also charged over an alleged plot to import more than 7m illicit tobacco cigarettes into Australia from India and Vietnam.

A Wollert man, 32, and South Yarra man, 36, were set to face court on Monday.

Police will allege the men communicated with criminal entities overseas via Ghost to coordinate the importation of 300 boxes – containing about 7,460,000 illicit tobacco cigarettes.

The AFP said this would equate to the evasion of an estimated $10m in excise tax.