Canadian arrested in global ‘Ghost’ cybercrime crackdown [Video]

A Canadian suspect was among dozens arrested around the world in a global crackdown that shut down the encrypted communication platform, called Ghost, dealing a major blow to organized crime networks, according to police.

Called a “lifeline” for serious criminals, the Ghost app became notorious for enabling large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, “extreme violence,” and other kinds of organized crime, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) said in a press release Wednesday. Europol led the global crackdown.

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A Canadian was arrested in Vancouver on Tuesday and released pending trial, as part of the Ghost operation and an investigation into the export of drugs from Canada to Australia, RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Martina Pillarova said in an email Wednesday to CTVNews.ca.

The RCMP declined to provide further details.

The RCMP eastern region’s unit, under Project Cyborg, conducted the Canadian component of the Ghost investigation.

Pillarova said the RCMP played a “key role” in the crackdown …