German police have recently made a significant breakthrough in their efforts to combat illegal activities on the dark web. They shut down what is believed to be the largest illegal dark web marketplace in the country and arrested a suspected administrator of the site.
The arrest was made by investigators from the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor’s Office – Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Along with the arrest, they seized “high-value vehicles,” evidence, and €1m ($1.1m) in crypto assets. The servers supporting the Crimenetwork marketplace were also taken down.
Crimenetwork was a platform that allowed buyers and sellers to trade stolen data, drugs, forged documents, and other illegal goods and services. It had been in operation since 2012 and had amassed over 100,000 users and more than 100 sellers, primarily from German-speaking countries.
Like many dark web marketplaces, transactions on Crimenetwork were conducted using cryptocurrency. The BKA reported that the site facilitated sales of at least 1000 BTC ($96.9m) and over 20,000 XMR ($4m) between 2018-24. The operators of the site received a commission of 1-5% on each sale, as well as monthly fees from sellers.
The 29-year-old individual arrested in connection with Crimenetwork is accused of being the technical administrator of the site. They have been charged with operating a criminal trading platform and involvement in narcotics trafficking. The investigation also involved cooperation with Dutch authorities, specifically the Zeeland-West-Brabant Public Prosecutor’s Office and Police.
The authorities are currently analyzing user and transaction data obtained from the platform to further their investigation.
This latest success is part of a series of victories for German police in combating illegal activities on the dark web. In March, they disrupted Crimemarket, previously known as the country’s largest illegal dark web marketplace. In December 2023, the BKA and ZIT took down Kingdom Market. More recently, in September 2024, they dismantled numerous cryptocurrency exchanges accused of facilitating money laundering and other illegal activities.
German authorities are continuing their efforts to crack down on illegal activities on the dark web and ensure the safety and security of online users.