Crimenetwork Relaunch Taken Down as Police Seize Data on 22,000 Users

German authorities have shut down the relaunched Crimenetwork marketplace and arrested its suspected operator in Mallorca, Spain. The operation targeted a rebuilt version of one of the best-known German-language underground marketplaces.

The new platform had already gathered more than 22,000 users and over 100 vendors before law enforcement took it offline. Investigators also seized user and transaction databases, which could now help identify buyers, sellers, and other people tied to the marketplace.

The arrest shows that the first Crimenetwork takedown in December 2024 did not end the case. Authorities say the suspect built a new technical infrastructure within days of the earlier shutdown and continued offering illegal goods and services under the same name.

Police arrested the suspected operator in Spain

The suspected operator is a 35-year-old German citizen. A special unit of Spain’s National Police arrested him at his residence in Mallorca under a European Arrest Warrant.

The investigation was coordinated by the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Central Office for Combating Internet Crime, and Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office. Spanish police, Moldovan cybercrime units, and Eurojust also supported the wider operation.

Authorities accuse the suspect of operating criminal trading platforms online and dealing in narcotics in significant quantities. Regional German authorities also connected the arrest to separate commercial fraud investigations involving fake online shops.

Key facts at a glance

Item	Details
Platform	Crimenetwork
Type	German-language criminal marketplace
Suspect	35-year-old German citizen
Arrest location	Mallorca, Spain
Users	More than 22,000
Vendors	More than 100
Estimated revenue	More than €3.6 million
Assets seized	About €194,000 linked to the marketplace

The rebuilt marketplace copied the old model

Crimenetwork had operated for years as a major marketplace in the German-speaking cybercrime scene. Before the first shutdown, it was known for listings involving stolen data, forged documents, drugs, and other illegal goods and services.

The relaunched version followed a similar model. Buyers used cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Monero to pay for goods and services. Vendors also paid platform fees and advertising charges.

Investigators say the new version generated more than €3.6 million in revenue. The suspected operator allegedly earned money from commissions on sales and from recurring vendor charges.

User and transaction data could drive new cases

The most important part of the operation may not be the seizure page itself. Investigators now have extensive records tied to users and transactions, which can support follow-up cases across German-speaking regions.

Dark web marketplaces often promote anonymity, but they still leave behind operational data. Account records, internal messages, vendor histories, cryptocurrency traces, and server logs can all become evidence once police control the infrastructure.

That creates legal risk beyond the suspected administrator. Buyers and sellers who used the new Crimenetwork may now face investigation if their activity appears in seized records.

Authorities are sending a message to darknet users

After the shutdown, law enforcement placed a seizure notice on a public portal connected to the takedown. The page uses the “Busted Again Crimenetwork” branding and identifies the German Federal Criminal Police Office and Frankfurt prosecutors.

Carsten Meywirth, Director at the BKA and Head of its Cybercrime Department, said the relaunch of Crimenetwork had failed and that another administrator would have to answer before a German court.

The message targets both operators and users. Authorities want to show that rebuilding a seized marketplace does not remove criminal exposure, especially when investigators continue tracking infrastructure and payment flows after the first takedown.

Why the second takedown matters

• It shows how quickly criminal marketplaces can return after a seizure.
• It gives investigators fresh user and transaction records.
• It disrupts vendors selling stolen data, forged documents, and drugs.
• It creates new leads across German-speaking cybercrime communities.
• It shows stronger cross-border coordination between police and prosecutors.

The earlier Crimenetwork case is still important

The original Crimenetwork platform was taken down in December 2024 after more than a decade of activity. At the time, authorities described it as one of the central marketplaces of the German-speaking underground economy.

In March 2026, the alleged operator of the predecessor version received a prison sentence of seven years and ten months from the Gießen Regional Court. The court also ordered confiscation of more than €10 million in criminal proceeds, although that ruling was not yet final.

The new arrest adds another chapter to the same broader enforcement campaign. It also shows that authorities continue to track attempts to rebuild marketplaces after infrastructure seizures.

FAQ

Summary

1. German and Spanish authorities shut down the relaunched Crimenetwork marketplace.
2. A 35-year-old German suspect was arrested in Mallorca under a European Arrest Warrant.
3. The platform had more than 22,000 users and over 100 vendors.
4. Investigators seized around €194,000 in assets and extensive platform records.
5. The seized user and transaction data could support further investigations.