In a major international law enforcement operation, the German police seized the Crimemarket, which is the largest German-speaking cybercrime marketplace. This action, led by the North Rhine-Westphalia Cybercrime Central and Contact Office (ZAC NRW), lasted several years of investigation. As a platform for trading illegal drugs and cybercrime services, Crimemarket had more than 180,000 registered users that were accessible through both the dark internet and the clear internet. On February 29, 2024, authorities were able to arrest three operators of the marketplace as well as to seize electronic equipment and nearly 600,000 euros in cash. Further investigations are ongoing to identify the users of the platform.
