"The German police last week announced the shutdown of the second iteration of the Crimenetwork crime marketplace. Crimenetwork was taken down in December 2024, after more than 12 years of operation, and a suspected administrator was arrested. Days later, the German-speaking online marketplace was resurrected on newly built infrastructure, and has since grown to have over 22,000 users and more than 100 sellers. The majority of the marketplace's users are likely German speakers, the police said."
"The same as the original, which had over 100,000 buyers and 100 sellers, the resurrected Crimenetwork allowed criminals to trade various illegal goods and services, including stolen information, drugs, and falsified documents. Transactions were made in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Monero, and evidence secured by law enforcement suggests Crimenetwork was generating more than €3.6 million (over $4.2 million) in revenue. When taken down in December 2024, the original Crimenetwork was considered the largest German-speaking crime marketplace."
"Investigators estimated at the time that over $100 million in cryptocurrency was transferred through the platform between 2018 and 2024. The police also announced that a 35-year-old German citizen suspected of being the administrator of the marketplace was arrested in Mallorca by the Spanish authorities. Law enforcement also seized €194,000 (approximately $228.000) in assets directly linked to Crimenetwork. Additionally, the investigators seized "extensive user and transaction data", which will be analyzed to gain further insight into the criminal structures behind the platform, the German police said."
German police announced the shutdown of the second iteration of the Crimenetwork crime marketplace. The original marketplace was taken down in December 2024 after more than 12 years of operation, and a suspected administrator was arrested. Shortly afterward, the marketplace reappeared on newly built infrastructure and grew to over 22,000 users and more than 100 sellers. Most users were likely German speakers. The marketplace enabled trading of illegal goods and services, including stolen information, drugs, and falsified documents. Payments were made using cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Monero, and law enforcement evidence indicated revenue above €3.6 million. Investigators previously estimated over $100 million in cryptocurrency transfers between 2018 and 2024. A 35-year-old German citizen suspected as administrator was arrested in Mallorca, and €194,000 in linked assets was seized. Extensive user and transaction data was also seized for further analysis.
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