ANOM
The ANOM (also stylized as AN0M or ΛNØM) sting operation (known as Operation Trojan Shield (stylized TRØJAN SHIELD) or Operation Ironside) is a collaboration by law enforcement agencies from several countries, running between 2018 and 2021, that intercepted millions of messages sent through the supposedly secure smartphone-based proprietary messaging app ANOM. The ANOM service was widely used by criminals, but instead of providing secure communication, it was actually a trojan horse covertly distributed by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), enabling them to monitor all communications. Through collaboration with other law enforcement agencies worldwide, the operation resulted in the arrest of over 800 suspects allegedly involved in criminal activity, in 16 countries. Among the arrested people were alleged members of Australian-based Italian mafia, Albanian organised crime, outlaw motorcycle clubs, drug syndicates and other organised crime groups.
ANOM app logo (top), the seal of the FBI's Operation Trojan Shield (bottom left), and the logo of the AFP's Operation Ironside (bottom right) | |
| Date |
|
|---|---|
| Location | 100+ countries |
| Motive | Surveillance of criminal activity |
| Organised by | U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Europol, Australian Federal Police, and others |
| Outcome | 800+ arrests, seizure of 40 tons of drugs, 250 guns, 55 luxury cars, and over $148 million in currencies and cryptocurrencies |