Germany has taken down the “Crimenetwork,” the country’s largest online marketplace used by criminals to buy and sell drugs, stolen data , and illegal services (e.g., document forgery). Authorities have also arrested the platform’s administrator.
The site, founded in 2012, had over 100 registered sellers and 100,000 users. Most were located in German-speaking countries.
" The platform, considered the largest German-speaking online marketplace for the underground economy, had been active for many years ," the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said in a statement . " As part of the investigation, the servers that formed the technical infrastructure of the platformwere taken offline ."
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Users of the Crimenetwork marketplace could pay for goods and services with Bitcoin or Monero (XMR).
The BKA says that, between 2018 and 2024, transactions on the platform amounted to 1,000 Bitcoin and over 20,000 Monero, currently valued at around 93,000,000 euros.
Crimenetwork earned a percentage from these transactions, along with a monthly subscription from sellers, and there were also advertising revenues.
The arrested administrator is a 29-year-old manknown online as “Techmin.” Authorities believe he served as a technical expert for Crimenetwork for several years.
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Now he faces charges related to Article 127 of the German Criminal Code (operation of criminal online marketplaces) and to articles 29a and 30a of the narcotics law.
German authorities have in their hands information about registered members of the platform, and therefore may follow up with more arrests.
The successful dismantling of the Crimenetwork marketplace is a significant victory in the ongoing battle against organized crime. It not only disrupts criminal networks, but also sends a strong message that law enforcement agencies are determined to fight criminals.
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However, it is important to recognize that this operation is only one step in the fight against crime. Criminals will always find new ways to adapt and evade authorities. By remaining vigilant, authorities can continue to have a significant impact in disrupting these criminal networks and keeping communities safe.
Yesterday, it was announced that another international police operation, led by Eurojust and Europol, took down Matrix, an encrypted messaging service used by criminals.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
