Fake terrorist attack ‘masterminded’ on app allegedly created by cleaner from Sydney

A Supermax prisoner allegedly planned to orchestrate a fake terror attack on NSW Police stations all through an encrypted communications app.

He is the alleged mastermind of the underworld app dubbed Ghost but South Sydney man Jay Je Yoon Jung is a digital phantom himself.

The 32-year-old who lives with his parents in Narwee has virtually scrubbed himself from the web, with a digital footprint only leading to a LinkedIn account where he describes himself as part of the sales team at a company his parents have run for the past 25 years.

Jung didn’t appear in the dock or on video link when the case against him was mentioned at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.

A myriad of his co-accused who police say used his encrypted platform fronted courts across Sydney.

Police will allege this humble cleaning salesman by day, was a tech mastermind by night, even troubleshooting for the hundreds of users from across Australia and abroad.

A family friend, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the charges against Jung “came as a complete surprise”.

“Jay is a nice, but very quiet man,” the source said. “He has worked with his family for many years.

Polcie at the Narwee address yesterday, a day after arresting the alleged mastermind of the encrypted communication device Ghost. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“The family have told employees and friends they needed to ‘take time away from the business’, but didn’t explain why.

“Jay was a manager of one of the departments at 7Master Cleaning.”

The man told The Daily Telegraph the family “would have been caught off guard” by these charges.

AFP sources say the parents are not accused of any wrongoing and had no idea about the alleged activities.

Jung’s father was seen briefly outside his family home on Wednesday but refused to speak to media.

Jung’s lawyer, Jason Pham, did not enter pleas to any of the charges during the brief mention.

Jung will remain in custody on remand until at least his next court appearance in November.

Investigations have revealed the alleged mastermind doesn’t appear as a showy spender, the only obvious sign of any wealth is a 2015 black Mercedes Benz with the number plate “Ghost”, sources say.

Police allege Jung was the man responsible for building the encrypted platform, which has been operating for nine years but was only recently infiltrated by police.

Australian Federal Police officers at the home of Jay Je Yoon Jung, an unassuming 32-year-old karaoke-loving technical dynamo who lives at home with his parents in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire

One of the alleged plots uncovered including blueprints for a fake terrorist attack masterminded out of Goulburn’s High Risk Management Correctional Centre.

Australian Federal Police will allege Supermax prisoner Guy Habkouk was planning to import rocket launchers from overseas to orchestrate a fake terror attack on NSW police stations, about which he would then offer authorities intelligence in efforts to have his prison sentence reduced.

Police made Habkouk take the long, bland drive up the Hume Highway from Goulburn to Surry Hills police station to charge him with two counts of perverting the course of justice, attempting to import 42kg cocaine and possession of an encrypted communications device.

It is understood police allege Habkouk was operating the phone, which was vital to the criminal enterprise, from behind bars at the state’s maximum security jail.

An unruffled Habkouk briefly appeared before Magistrate Megan Greenwood on Wednesday, resplendent in his orange Supermax uniform from an audiovisual suite at the police centre.

The court heard he had not had time to instruct his lawyer about his latest charges and did not intend to apply for bail. His matter was adjourned to November 11.

Earlier, young father-of-two Jack Godwin appeared before Ms Greenwood after he was also collected in the widespread Ghost raids and charged with manufacturing a controlled drug, supplying a prohibited firearm to an unauthorised person, and possessing a dedicated encrypted device to commit serious criminal activity.

Another Sydney businessman was charged with conspiring to traffic $170,000 worth of cocaine into Australia, allegedly using the pseudonym ‘Donald Trump’ when talking on a newly uncovered encrypted communication platform, a court has heard.

Sukru Yildiz was among more than a dozen people arrested on Tuesday morning during sweeping Australian Federal Police raids across the country, targeting the alleged users of ‘Ghost’.

Originally published as Fake terrorist attack ‘masterminded’ on app allegedly created by cleaner from Sydney