US indictment names 17 accused in ANOM sting
US authorities accuse 17 people including Australians of being connected to a criminal organisation as a result of the ANOM phone sting.
US authorities have accused 17 people including one of Australia’s most wanted men of being connected to a criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and other offences, after a police sting that duped organised crime networks into using an encrypted communications platform secretly controlled by law enforcement.
Sydney fugitive Hakan Ayik, on the run from Australia for more than a decade over a massive heroin shipment, tops the list of defendants in the indictment unsealed overnight in the District Court, Southern District of California.
The joint Australian Federal Police and FBI sting involved authorities covertly designing, administering and monitoring the ANOM app and placing it into the hands of powerful crime figures who backed its security.
Criminals openly discussed murder plots and industrial-scale drug trafficking and money laundering on ANOM devices, exposing elements of the mafia, Mexican and South American cartels, outlaw motorcycle gangs and Asian triads.
Ayik is among three people named as ANOM “administrators”, and among four named as “influencers”.
An Australian, Domenico Catanzariti, and a Swedish man living in Turkey, Maximilian Rivkin, are the other two accused administrators.
Sources have told The Australian that in 2016, Mr Catanzariti pleaded guilty in the South Australian District Court to manufacturing a large commercial quantity of meth with a potential to net $6 million.
The lab was found in Bibaringa in 2012.
Judge Sydney Tilmouth described Mr Catanzariti at sentencing as “a respectful, hardworking and generous” young man with no other criminal history, and wholly suspended his 20-month jail sentence.
Judge Tilmouth said the the-24-year-old had the strong support of his family.
“I’m not expecting to see you in court again,” he said.
Mr Catanzariti was working at his family’s olive oil production business as marketing manager and planned to build a house on a block of land owned by his partner, the SA court was told at the time.
Police discovered the meth lab after intercepting phone calls and placing a home under surveillance.
Mr Catanzariti had contact with a man who delivered a trailer of items that he knew would be used to cook the drugs, though the extent of his role was unknown.
Ayik, Rivkin and two Australians living in Turkey – Baris Tukel and Erkan Yusef Dogan – are the four named as influencers.
The list also names those accused of being distributors of the ANOM network to criminal end users.
Australian citizens living in Colombia and Indonesia are on the list, while one New Zealand citizen is named. Citizens of Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, the UK and Serbia are also defendants, further demonstrating the global reach of the sting.
Administrators allegedly have physical control of the “ANOM enterprise’s network” and can initiate new subscriptions, set up access for distributors, remove accounts, and remotely delete and reset devices.
Influencers are allegedly “well-known crime figures who wield significant power and influence over other criminal associates”.
Influencers use their “power, knowledge and expertise” in the encrypted device field to promote, market and encourage others to use specific devices and have a “tremendous impact” on what devices are used, the indictment alleges.
Distributors receive payments for ongoing subscription fees, send associated funds minus personal profit to the parent company, and provide second level technical support, the indictment says.
They can also remotely delete and reset devices, and communicate and co-ordinate directly with the administrators.
The indictment, brought as an alleged Racketeering Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs (RICO) offence, states there were at least 9500 ANOM devices in use worldwide – though authorities have since said the number increased to 12,000.
The indictment alleges purposes of the ANOM network included maintaining a secure method of communication to facilitate the importation, exportation and distribution of illegal drugs into Australia, Europe, the US and Canada and to launder the proceeds.
“ANOM has generated the Defendants millions of dollars in profit by facilitating the criminal activity of transnational criminal organisations and protecting these organisations from law enforcement,” it states.
The 17 men and others were leaders, members and associates of a criminal organisation engaged in a common enterprise, the indictment alleges.
Members of the enterprise allegedly engaged in drug trafficking, money laundering and obstruction of justice.
In Australia, the US and Canada, it cost about $1700 every six months to use ANOM, while in Europe the cost ranged from 1000 to 1500 euros every six months.
ANOM administrators, distributors, and agents had described its devices to potential clients as “designed by criminals for criminals”, the indictment alleges.
Sale of ANOM devices was targeted at individuals they knew or had reason to know participated in illegal activities, including international drug trafficking and money.
Administrators and distributors also told customers ANOM was not subject to US law, including the U.S. Patriot Act, to increase trust in the brand as being secure.
ANOM users remained anonymous even to each other, and clients’ real names were not requested, tracked or recorded.
Devices seized by law enforcement were wiped to destroy evidence.
The indictment states that:
Joseph Hakan Ayik “is a citizen of Turkey who currently resides in Turkey. Ayik is an Administrator of the Anom network, as well as an Influencer.”
Domenico Catanzariti “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Australia. Catanzariti is an Administrator of the Anom network.”
Maximilian Rivkin “is a citizen of Sweden who currently resides in Turkey. Rivkin is an Administrator of the Anom network, as well as an Influencer.”
Abdelhakim Aharchaou “is a citizen of the Netherlands who currently resides in the Netherlands. Aharchaou is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal users.”
Seyyed Hossein Hosseini “is a citizen of the Netherlands who currently resides in the Netherlands. Hosseini is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end users.”
Alexander Dmitrienko “is a citizen of Finland who currently resides in Spain. Dmitrienko is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.:
Baris Tukel “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Turkey. Tukel is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users, as well as an Influencer.”
Erkan Yusef Dogan “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Turkey. Dogan is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users, as well as an Influencer.”
Shane Geoffrey May “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Indonesia. May is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Aurangzeb Ayub “is a citizen of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands who currently resides in the Netherlands. Ayub is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
James Thomas Flood “is a citizen of the United Kingdom who currently resides in Spain. Flood is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Srdjan Todorovic “is believed a citizen of Serbia, currently residing in Colombia. Todorovic, aka Dr Djek, is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Shane Ngakuru “is a citizen of New Zealand who currently resides in Phuket, Thailand. Ngakuru is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Edwin Harmendra Kumar “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Australia. Kumar is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end- users.”
Omar Malik “is a citizen of the Netherlands who currently resides in the Netherlands. Malik is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Miwand Zakhimi (aka Maiwand): “Is a citizen of the Netherlands currently resides in the Netherlands. Zakhimi is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
Osemah Elhassen “is a citizen of Australia who currently resides in Colombia. Elhassen is a Distributor of the Anom network to criminal end-users.”
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