Part 5/10:
In coordination with Australian Federal Police (AFP), AFU began distributing Anom phones to criminals for free in a bid to populate the device's user base. The strategy relied on word-of-mouth promotion within the criminal underworld, and before long, Anom had transformed into a highly sought-after communication tool used by drug traffickers and organized crime networks around the globe.
Unraveling the Operation
By 2021, Anom had gained 12,000 users, generating millions of messages exchanged in 45 different languages. FBI agents aimed to sift through a mountain of data that included everything from drug deals to murder-for-hire schemes. However, the sheer volume of intelligence collected became overwhelming, and the question of legality loomed over the entire operation.