German authorities have dismantled a rebooted version of the cybercrime marketplace Crimenetwork and arrested its suspected operator in Spain, less than two years after the original platform was taken offline.
According to Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the latest operation targeted a relaunched version of Crimenetwork that appeared just days after the original marketplace was seized in late 2024.
The alleged administrator, a 35-year-old German national, was arrested in Mallorca by Spanish police acting under a European arrest warrant. Investigators say the suspect rebuilt the marketplace using entirely new infrastructure while continuing to operate under the Crimenetwork name.
Authorities said the rebooted platform quickly attracted more than 22,000 users and over 100 vendors offering illegal goods and services. Evidence gathered during the investigation suggests the operation generated at least €3.6 million in revenue before it was shut down.
Police also seized approximately €194,000 in suspected criminal assets along with large amounts of user and transaction data that could be used in additional investigations.
Crimenetwork had long been considered one of Germany’s largest cybercrime marketplaces. The platform was active since 2012 and allegedly facilitated the sale of stolen data, drugs, forged documents, and illegal digital services. The original marketplace reportedly had around 100,000 registered users before German authorities dismantled it in 2024.
Officials say the rapid relaunch demonstrated how resilient underground cybercrime communities have become. Rather than disappearing after law enforcement seizures, many marketplaces now attempt to quickly migrate to new infrastructure, domains, and operators.
German authorities placed a seizure banner on the marketplace after taking control of the infrastructure. The BKA said investigators continue analyzing the recovered data to identify users, vendors, and financial transactions connected to the platform.
The arrested suspect faces charges tied to operating a criminal trading platform and violations of Germany’s narcotics laws.
The operation is part of a broader international crackdown targeting cybercrime marketplaces and underground forums. Over the past two years, European and US authorities have increasingly focused on dismantling platforms used for stolen data sales, fraud services, ransomware operations, and credential trafficking.
Investigators say shutting down marketplaces does more than remove individual websites. Seizing backend infrastructure and transaction records can expose vendors, buyers, moderators, and affiliated criminal networks operating across multiple countries.