According to Moldovan police, the operation was carried out by officers from the Cybercrime Center within the National Investigation Inspectorate of Moldova and prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), in cooperation with German authorities, the Spanish National Police and Eurojust.
Investigators allege that the platform functioned as an encrypted forum for cybercriminals and as an illegal online marketplace. Criminals used it to trade stolen data, including bank card information, passwords and personal documents. Vendors also distributed malware, ransomware and DDoS services through the platform.
According to investigators, the platform had more than 22,000 users and more than 100 active sellers. In addition, visitors made transactions with cryptocurrencies. Authorities estimate that the illegal activity generated more than €3.6 million in revenue.
Investigators also discovered that the technical infrastructure of the platform was hosted by a company from the Republic of Moldova.
And Moldovan law enforcement officials played a key role in monitoring and documenting the criminal activity carried out through the server hosting the platform.
The platform is closed
In an internationally coordinated operation, authorities blocked the Crimenetwork platform. A special unit of the Spanish National Police arrested the main suspect, a 35-year-old German national, in Mallorca on a European arrest warrant.
During searches conducted as part of the operation, authorities seized goods and devices worth approximately €194,000 that investigators believed were directly linked to the illegal activities of the platform.
Investigators are continuing the criminal investigation and are currently examining the seized devices and data carriers collected during the operation.
