Moldovan officers help take down cybercrime network with 22,000 users
An international operation involving law enforcement from Moldova successfully dismantled an online darknet platform that sold stolen data and launched cyberattacks.
Officers from the Center for Combating Cybercrime at the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI) and employees of the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), along with authorities from Germany, Spain, and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (EUROJUST), have successfully dismantled an organized crime group that operated the "Crimenetwork" platform—one of the most active darknet markets dedicated to cybercrime.
Investigators report that the platform served as both a coded forum for cybercriminals and an illegal online marketplace. Here, stolen data was traded, including information about bank cards, authentication credentials (access data such as usernames and passwords), and personal documents.
Additionally, the platform distributed tools used in cyber attacks, such as malware (designed to infect or compromise devices), ransomware (a virus that blocks access to data and demands a ransom to restore it), and DDoS attack services—Distributed Denial of Service attacks that overload a server or website with traffic, rendering it inaccessible.
The investigation revealed that "Crimenetwork" also facilitated other illegal activities, including online services that obscured user identities and money laundering.
It is estimated that "Crimenetwork" had over 22,000 users and more than 100 active sellers, with transactions conducted using cryptocurrencies. Authorities estimate that the platform generated more than 3.6 million euros in revenue.
The platform's administrator charged commissions for transactions, and sellers paid monthly fees for advertising and marketing licenses.
During the investigation, it was found that the platform's technical infrastructure was hosted on servers belonging to a company in the Republic of Moldova. INI officers played a crucial role in monitoring and documenting the criminal activities conducted through the network's server as part of the joint investigation group.
As a result of an internationally coordinated operation, the "Crimenetwork" platform was seized. The main suspect, a 35-year-old German citizen, was arrested at his home in Mallorca by a special unit of the Spanish National Police, acting on a European arrest warrant.
Following the searches, items and equipment directly related to the platform's illegal activities were seized, with an estimated value of approximately 194,000 euros. Criminal prosecution actions are ongoing, including the examination of devices and data carriers confiscated during the operation.
