German police shut down major dark web trading platform
Technical administrator of German-language illicit trading platform arrested, servers of ‘Crimenetwork’ shut down
BERLIN
German authorities shut down a major dark web trading platform used as a marketplace for stolen data, drugs and forged documents, officials announced Tuesday.
The technical administrator of the “Crimenetwork” platform was arrested in an operation by the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office's cybercrime unit (ZIT) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
Authorities seized luxury vehicles and cryptocurrency worth approximately €1 million ($1.05 million), the BKA said in a statement. The servers belonging to the platform's technical infrastructure have been shut down.
Crimenetwork, which was set up in 2012, had grown into a bustling marketplace for stolen data, drugs and forged documents, with more than 100,000 users, according to investigators.
The platform primarily served German-speaking users and handled transactions exclusively in cryptocurrencies. Investigators report that between 2018 and 2024, the platform processed at least 1,000 Bitcoin ($95 million) and 20,000 Monero ($3 million) in transactions.
Platform operators earned commissions between 1% - 5% on each sale. Sellers also paid monthly fees for advertising privileges and sales licenses.
