Law enforcement has struck a “heavy blow” against “industrial-scale” organised crime in a globe-spanning sting operation involving 9,000 officers from Australia, Europe, and the United States. Key to the operation was the deliberate rollout of an encrypted messaging app to the criminal underworld that gave police access to secret communications between syndicates. “Today, the Australian government, as part of a global operation, has struck a heavy blow against organised crime—not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Tuesday EST. “This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history,” he added. Prime Minister Morrison, along with Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, FBI Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy Anthony Russo, and Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police Reece Kershaw, fronted a press conference to outline the details of Operation Ironside. Established in 2018, the operation, …