German authorities have shut down a relaunched version of the Crimenetwork underground platform and arrested its alleged operator in a coordinated international operation.
The original Crimenetwork platform, believed to be Germany’s largest online cybercrime marketplace, had operated since 2012 and reportedly attracted more than 100,000 registered users. Authorities say the platform traded in stolen data, illegal services, narcotics, and other illicit goods.
In late 2024, authorities seized the platform and arrested one of its administrators. However, marketplace relaunched shortly after under another operator on new infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Spanish police arrested a 35-year-old German man in Mallorca under a European arrest warrant. The suspect, authorities say, rebuilt the platform under the same name only days after the original site was shut down in December 2024.
Authorities said the rebooted marketplace gained more than 22,000 users and over 100 vendors while generating at least €3.6 million ($4.2 million) in revenue. During the operation, police seized approximately €194,000 in suspected criminal assets and collected large volumes of user and transaction data for ongoing investigations.
The suspect faces charges under Section 127 of the German Criminal Code and Sections 29a and 30a of the German Narcotics Act, offenses that could carry lengthy prison sentences.
Meanwhile, the operator of the original Crimenetwork marketplace was sentenced in March to seven years and 10 months in prison and ordered to surrender more than €10 million in criminal proceeds, though the ruling has not yet become final.