How the elimination of a criminal platform with 180,000 users will affect the security of cyberspace.
In Germany, Dusseldorf police raided Crimemarket, the largest German-language platform for illegal trading, which brought together more than 180 thousand users. During the operation, six people were arrested, including one of the site's operators.
Crimemarket was known as a central hub for transactions involving prohibited substances and services in the field of cybercrime. The market also offered guides and instructions on how to carry out various crimes.
The investigation that preceded the arrests lasted for years and included numerous searches that helped identify the platform's operators and many of its users.
As part of a coordinated action, which was joined by investigators from different parts of Germany and abroad, 102 searches were simultaneously carried out across the country on the evening of February 29, 2024.
The main focus of the action was in North Rhine-Westphalia, where 3 people were arrested, including a 23-year-old man who was considered the main suspect. Another 3 arrests occurred in other federal states of Germany.
The police seized a lot of evidence, including mobile phones, computer equipment and data carriers. In North Rhine-Westphalia, drugs were confiscated, including 1 kilogram of marijuana and various ecstasy pills, as well as almost 600 thousand euros in cash and movable property.
According to the police, the operation is aimed not only against the operators of the Crimemarket platform, but also its users. The investigation of the criminal network is still ongoing.
At the beginning of last week, Crimemarket users began reporting problems with access to the site, which caused rumors about a possible connection with the liquidation of the ChipMixer service used by the platform for legalizing payments. However, the official police announcement confirmed that the access problems were caused by the actions of law enforcement agencies.
Despite the withdrawal of data, the main page of the site remains accessible, but an attempt to go to any other page results in a notification about the confiscation of the platform.
The notice informs that the police have been monitoring this platform and its content for a long time as part of a coordinated operation at the level of the entire Europe, and all site data has now been seized.
Based on the above, it appears that the police have decided to allow cybercriminals to continue using the platform after confiscation to collect identification, login credentials, and other compromising information. However, it is unlikely that any of the lawbreakers will go there now.
The confiscation of the Crimemarket platform is definitely an important step in the fight against crime in Germany. Such targeted police operations are an important measure to improve the health of cyberspace and create a safer environment for Internet users.
In Germany, Dusseldorf police raided Crimemarket, the largest German-language platform for illegal trading, which brought together more than 180 thousand users. During the operation, six people were arrested, including one of the site's operators.
Crimemarket was known as a central hub for transactions involving prohibited substances and services in the field of cybercrime. The market also offered guides and instructions on how to carry out various crimes.
The investigation that preceded the arrests lasted for years and included numerous searches that helped identify the platform's operators and many of its users.
As part of a coordinated action, which was joined by investigators from different parts of Germany and abroad, 102 searches were simultaneously carried out across the country on the evening of February 29, 2024.
The main focus of the action was in North Rhine-Westphalia, where 3 people were arrested, including a 23-year-old man who was considered the main suspect. Another 3 arrests occurred in other federal states of Germany.
The police seized a lot of evidence, including mobile phones, computer equipment and data carriers. In North Rhine-Westphalia, drugs were confiscated, including 1 kilogram of marijuana and various ecstasy pills, as well as almost 600 thousand euros in cash and movable property.
According to the police, the operation is aimed not only against the operators of the Crimemarket platform, but also its users. The investigation of the criminal network is still ongoing.
At the beginning of last week, Crimemarket users began reporting problems with access to the site, which caused rumors about a possible connection with the liquidation of the ChipMixer service used by the platform for legalizing payments. However, the official police announcement confirmed that the access problems were caused by the actions of law enforcement agencies.
Despite the withdrawal of data, the main page of the site remains accessible, but an attempt to go to any other page results in a notification about the confiscation of the platform.
The notice informs that the police have been monitoring this platform and its content for a long time as part of a coordinated operation at the level of the entire Europe, and all site data has now been seized.
Based on the above, it appears that the police have decided to allow cybercriminals to continue using the platform after confiscation to collect identification, login credentials, and other compromising information. However, it is unlikely that any of the lawbreakers will go there now.
The confiscation of the Crimemarket platform is definitely an important step in the fight against crime in Germany. Such targeted police operations are an important measure to improve the health of cyberspace and create a safer environment for Internet users.
