Authorities Seize 'Crimenetwork,' Germany's Largest Illegal Online Market

German law enforcement has shut down Crimenetwork , the nation’s largest German-speaking online criminal marketplace.

The rise and fall of Crimenetwork

The platform, operating since 2012, facilitated a vast underground network of illegal activities, dealing in drugs, stolen data, and counterfeit documents.

Crimenetwork’s administrator, a 29-year-old with the moniker “Techmin,” has been arrested and now faces serious charges under Section 127 of the German Criminal Code for operating a criminal online marketplace, alongside violations of Sections 29a and 30a of the Narcotics Act.

The takedown occurred on Monday in a coordinated effort by the Federal Police Office (BKA), the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT), and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt am Main. According to the BKA, the site acted as a cybercrime hub, counting over 100,000 users and more than 100 registered sellers, primarily from German-speaking countries.

Over €90 million in crypto transactions uncovered

“To pay for the illegal goods and services, users used the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR),” according to the BKA’s announcement. “In the period from 2018 to 2024, sales of at least 1,000 BTC (currently equivalent to around 90 million euros) and over 20,000 XMR (currently equivalent to around 3 million euros) were generated via "Crimenetwork". The operators of the platform are said to have received commission payments of one to five percent of the sales value for processing the sales made.”

Threat actors often use cryptocurrencies for their anonymity and difficulty in tracing.

Illicit revenue from sales, licenses and ads

The marketplace earned its operators a lucrative income through transaction fees, as well as advertising revenue and seller subscriptions. The cumulative income was estimated at over $5 million for the last six years.

As part of the operation, the BKA has dismantled the cybercrime market’s infrastructure and seized extensive data on users and transactions. Authorities expect the confiscated data trove to lead to further arrests and unravel other criminal networks with ties to the illicit marketplace.

Major cybercrime networks dismantled worldwide

The takedown of Crimenetwork is part of a broader wave of global crackdowns on cybercrime operations.

Recently, the operator of the Helix Bitcoin Mixer, a service that facilitated money laundering for cybercriminals, was sentenced to prison in the United States. Similarly, the leader of Hydra Marketplace, once the largest darknet market for illicit goods and services, received a life sentence, with 15 accomplices also convicted for their roles in the operation.