Europol and law enforcement from nine countries successfully dismantled an encrypted communications platform called "Ghost," which was used by organized crime such as drug trafficking and money laundering.

Europol and law enforcement agencies from nine countries have teamed up to dismantle an alleged criminal communications platform. A total of 51 suspects were arrested, 38 in Australia, where the app's creator resides.

An Australian man accused of creating a secret app for criminals use part of an international crime syndicate was arrested Tuesday with dozens of others in an ongoing global sting operation involving several nations.

The crackdown is the latest operation by international agencies to decode encrypted messaging services used by criminals to manage their international operations, following the takedown of platforms such as EncroChat and Sky ECC in recent years.