Global cybercrime crackdown: over 373,000 dark web sites shut down

According to Europol, on 9 March 2026 a global operation led by German authorities and supported by Europol was launched against one of the largest networks of fraudulent platforms in the dark web. The investigation began in mid-2021 against the platform “Alice with Violence CP” and found that the operator was running more than 373 000 fraudulent websites advertising CSAM and cybercrime-as-a-service offerings.

From 9 to 19 March 2026, 23 countries joined the operation, which initially targeted the platform operator but, through international cooperation, identified 440 customers who had used the operator’s services. So far, the results include one perpetrator operating the platform identified, 440 customers worldwide identified, over 373 000 dark web websites shut down, 105 servers seized and electronic devices seized. The operation is still ongoing against more than a hundred of those individuals.