Authorities in Germany have shut down an illegal marketplace named Nemesis Market that was involved in trading narcotics, stolen data, and cybercrime services. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) dismantled the darknet platform’s digital infrastructure located in Germany and Lithuania, seizing cryptocurrency assets worth €94,000 ($102,107).
A joint operation involving law enforcement agencies from Germany, Lithuania, and the U.S. was carried out on March 20, 2024, as a result of an extensive investigation that began in October 2022.
Established in 2021, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 user accounts and 1,100 seller accounts worldwide before its closure, with approximately 20% of the sellers being from Germany.
The marketplace offered a range of illicit goods and services, including narcotics, stolen data, and cybercrime tools like ransomware and DDoS attacks, according to a statement by the BKA.
Further investigations are ongoing against criminal actors using the platform, although no arrests have been made yet.
This development follows a recent operation that targeted the LockBit ransomware group, leading to the arrest of three affiliates and the seizure of their servers. The disruption forced the group to restart its cyber extortion activities.
In recent months, German authorities have also taken down other illegal marketplaces like Kingdom Market and Crimemarket, which offered various money laundering and cybercrime services to thousands of users.
