German authorities shut down relaunched Crimenetwork cybercrime marketplace, arrest operator

German law enforcement authorities have dismantled a relaunched version of the cybercrime marketplace Crimenetwork and arrested a 35-year-old German national accused of operating the platform from Mallorca, Spain.

The arrest followed a coordinated operation involving the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt am Main, Germany’s Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT), the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), and Spanish National Police units acting under a European arrest warrant.

Crimenetwork was one of Germany’s largest online cybercrime marketplaces, operating since 2012 and serving approximately 100,000 registered users. The platform facilitated the trade of illegal services, narcotics, and stolen data.

German authorities dismantled the original operation in late 2024 after seizing the platform’s infrastructure and arresting one of its administrators. Within days of that takedown, a new version of Crimenetwork emerged on newly established infrastructure under different administration.

Investigators said the newly arrested suspect built and managed the replacement platform shortly after the original marketplace was shut down in December 2024. The rebooted site operated under the same Crimenetwork name and offered a similar range of illicit goods and criminal services.

The relaunched platform rapidly attracted approximately 22,000 users and more than 100 vendors. Evidence collected during the investigation indicated the operation generated at least €3.6 million, or roughly $4.2 million, in revenue.

Authorities also seized approximately €194,000, equivalent to about $228,000, in suspected criminal assets. Investigators obtained significant quantities of user and transaction data that are expected to support ongoing inquiries into platform participants and vendors.

Carsten Meywirth, a director at Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, said the attempted revival of the marketplace had failed and that another administrator would now face prosecution in Germany.

German authorities placed a seizure banner on the confiscated platform informing visitors of the enforcement action.

The suspect faces charges under Section 127 of the German Criminal Code as well as Sections 29a and 30a of the German Narcotics Act, offenses that carry potential prison sentences.

In March, the operator of the original Crimenetwork marketplace received a prison sentence of seven years and 10 months and was ordered to forfeit more than €10 million in criminal proceeds. The judgment has not yet become final.