Cybercrime Resurrected ‘Crimenetwork’ Marketplace Taken Down, Administrator Arrested The second iteration of the German-speaking online crime marketplace had over 22,000 users and more than 100 sellers. By Ionut Arghire | May 11, 2026 (3:25 AM ET) Flipboard Reddit Whatsapp Whatsapp Email The German police last week announced the shutdown of the second iteration of the Crimenetwork crime marketplace. Crimenetwork was taken down in December 2024 , after more than 12 years of operation, and a suspected administrator was arrested. Days later, the German-speaking online marketplace was resurrected on newly built infrastructure, and has since grown to have over 22,000 users and more than 100 sellers. The majority of the marketplace’s users are likely German speakers, the police said . The same as the original, which had over 100,000 buyers and 100 sellers, the resurrected Crimenetwork allowed criminals to trade various illegal goods and services, including stolen information, drugs, and falsified documents. Transactions were made in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Monero, and evidence secured by law enforcement suggests Crimenetwork was generating more than €3.6 million (over $4.2 million) in revenue. When taken down in December 2024, the original Crimenetwork was considered the largest German-speaking crime marketplace. Investigators estimated at the time that over $100 million in cryptocurrency was transferred through the platform between 2018 and 2024. Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. The police also announced that a 35-year-old German citizen suspected of being the administrator of the marketplace was arrested in Mallorca by the Spanish authorities. Law enforcement also seized €194,000 (approximately $228.000) in assets directly linked to Crimenetwork. Additionally, the investigators seized “extensive user and transaction data”, which will be analyzed to gain further insight into the criminal structures behind the platform, the German police said. Related: Romanian Man Extradited to US for Role in Hacking Scheme 17 Years Ago Related: Karakurt Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced to Prison Related: Worries About AI’s Risks to Humanity Loom Over the Trial Pitting Musk Against OpenAI’s Leaders Related: Tycoon 2FA Loses Phishing Kit Crown Amid Surge in Attacks Written By Ionut Arghire Ionut Arghire is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek. 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