Police shut down reboot of Crimenetwork marketplace, arrest admin
Monitor for similar illicit activity.
Monitor for similar illicit activity.
Summary
German authorities shut down a relaunch of the criminal marketplace Crimenetwork on May 10, 2026, after the platform had generated more than €3.6 million in revenue. The marketplace, which had operated since 2012 and hosted 100,000 registered users, was dismantled in December 2024 by the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). A new version appeared a few days later on a new infrastructure run by a different operator. The BKA arrested a 35‑year‑old German suspect in Mallorca, Spain, who had built the new technical infrastructure. The rebooted platform quickly attracted 22,000 users and over 100 vendors, generating at least €3.6 million in revenue and leading to the seizure of €194,000 in illicit assets and user transaction data. The seized portal displayed a banner informing visitors of the police action. The former administrator had previously been sentenced to seven years and ten months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than €10 million in proceeds.
Key changes
- German authorities shut down a relaunch of the criminal marketplace Crimenetwork.
- New version appeared a few days after the shutdown on a new infrastructure.
- A 35‑year‑old German suspect was arrested in Mallorca, Spain.
- Rebooted platform attracted 22,000 users and over 100 vendors.
- Revenue of at least €3.6 million was generated by the new version.
- €194,000 in illicit assets and user transaction data were seized.