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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsGerman authorities seized the Crimemarket domain and carried out 102 searches across the country on 29 February 2024. Düsseldorf Police announced the operation the next day, reporting six arrests. The investigation, which police said began in 2020, targeted a German-language online marketplace accused of facilitating the sale of illegal goods and services.
What was Crimemarket?
Police described Crimemarket as the largest illegal German-language online trading platform. It was accessible through both the darknet and the ordinary internet, according to Düsseldorf Police and the Hessian State Criminal Police Office. Authorities said it facilitated trade in drugs and weapons and offered illegal services such as money laundering and instructions for cybercrime and other serious offenses. Hessian authorities also reported sales of stolen data and a cryptocurrency escrow service. These are descriptions from law-enforcement agencies, not findings of a court.
North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul described the platform to Tagesschau as „Wir haben es da also nicht mit dem kleinen Online-Händler von nebenan zu tun gehabt, sondern mit dem deutschsprachigen Amazon für Cybercrime.“ (“We were not dealing with the small online retailer next door, but with the German-language Amazon for cybercrime.” Tagesschau)
Why did German police take it down?
Police said their investigation began in 2020 and focused on the people operating the platform as well as sellers and users. Authorities said the marketplace enabled illegal trade and services, prompting a nationwide operation to search locations, make arrests, seize evidence, and take control of the domain. The Düsseldorf Police announcement and Hessian authorities’ statement describe an investigation and allegations; they do not establish that every person connected to the site committed an offense.
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How many people were arrested, and what was seized?
Düsseldorf Police reported six arrests in total: three in North Rhine-Westphalia and three in other German states. One of those arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia was a 23-year-old principal suspect in Korschenbroich. The arrests were reported at the time of the operation and are not convictions.
- Searches: 102 warrants were executed nationwide on 29 February 2024.
- Domain: Authorities said they seized the Crimemarket domain.
- Assets in North Rhine-Westphalia: Police reported seizing nearly €600,000 in cash and movable assets in that state. This was not a total valuation of property seized nationwide.
Düsseldorf Police’s 1 March 2024 announcement gives the operation details. The Hessian State Criminal Police Office statement also describes the investigation and evidence seizures.
How many users did Crimemarket have?
Düsseldorf Police reported more than 180,000 registered users in 2024; Tagesschau and CERT-EU reported the same contemporaneous figure. A later ANSSI overview of 2024 used an approximate figure of about 200,000 users. These are attributed estimates, not independently audited counts of active users, and the rounded later estimate should not be treated as a more precise replacement for the police figure.
- Tagesschau’s March 2024 report also quoted Düsseldorf Police President Miriam Brauns: „Die Nutzer müssten ab heute damit rechnen, dass sich die Polizei bei ihnen meldet.“ (“Users must expect from today that the police may contact them.”)
- CERT-EU’s March 2024 summary reported more than 180,000 registered users.
- ANSSI’s later overview gave the approximate figure of about 200,000.
What happened to Crimemarket’s users?
Police said they were investigating users as well as operators and sellers, and that analysis of seized data and evidence was continuing. Hessian authorities also said their analysis of seized storage media was ongoing. The 2024 statements do not establish that all registered users were identified, contacted, or charged, and the cited sources do not report final outcomes for each person under investigation. Brauns’s warning that users should expect possible police contact was not confirmation that every account holder would be contacted.
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What the operation established—and what it did not
The public account establishes that authorities seized the domain, conducted nationwide searches, arrested six people, and continued analyzing evidence. It does not establish convictions or the eventual legal outcome for those arrested or investigated. Arrest and suspicion are not proof of guilt; any individual’s responsibility must be determined through the relevant legal process.
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