Hakan Ayik: The man who accidentally helped FBI get in criminals' pockets

Law enforcement agencies have arrested some 800 suspected criminals around the world after thousands of people were tricked into using an encrypted phone app which allowed police to monitor their conversations without their knowledge.

Australian police have told local media that the man who unwittingly helped to distribute the FBI-run encrypted messaging app was a fugitive named Hakan Ayik.

Alleged to be a drugs kingpin himself, officials say Mr Ayik was identified as a key influencer and given access by undercover agents to a handset which he then recommended to other criminal associates.

"He was identified because of his standing within the underworld," a senior investigator quoted by the Australian Telegraph said. "He was a primary target as someone who was trusted and was going to be able to successfully distribute this platform."

It is reported that he has been living abroad in Turkey for years and police have urged him to come forward for his own safety.