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Two largest cybercrime forums in the world taken down

person using black laptop computer

A Europol-supported operation, led by German authorities and involving law enforcement from eight countries, including both the National Police and Guardia Civil in Spain, has led to the takedown of the two largest cybercrime forums in the world.

The two platforms, Cracked and Nulled, had more than 10 million users in total. Both of these underground economy forums offered a quick entry point into the cybercrime scene. These sites worked as one-stop shops and were used not only for discussions on cybercrime but also as marketplaces for illegal goods and cybercrime-as-a-service, such as stolen data, malware or hacking tools. Investigators estimate that suspects earned EUR 1 million in criminal profits.

The operation took place from 28 to 30 January and led to:

  • 2 suspects arrested
  • 7 properties searched
  • 17 servers and over 50 electronic devices seized
  • Around EUR 300 000 of cash and cryptocurrencies seized

Throughout the course of the action day, 12 domains within the platforms Cracked and Nulled were seized. Other associated services were also taken down; including a financial processor named Sellix which was used by Cracked, and a hosting service called StarkRDP, which was promoted on both of the platforms and run by the same suspects.


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Man arrested in Benidorm for exploiting unauthorised immigrants

Police National

The National Police arrested a man in Benidorm on suspicion of violating workers’ rights. The suspect hired undocumented immigrants for construction jobs and then threatened to alert authorities about their condition in order to exploit them.

The police inquiry began after they received information about the potential hiring of illegal immigrants in construction. Following early enquiries, it was determined that numerous nationals were working on a villa construction site in Benidorm, the majority of them without work or residency permits. Apparently, the employer who recruited the workers did not pay them and threatened to denounce them for unlawful employment.

Thus, the investigators’ initial steps concentrated on ascertaining the workers’ working circumstances and validating the identity of the person in charge of the hiring.

During surveillance by National Police personnel, it was discovered that a total of 15 people worked on the building site, ten of them were illegal. The primary person in charge of the project was also recognised.

The main suspect’s tactic consisted of continuing to hire persons who were in Spain illegally to work on the construction site, threatening to report them for their irregular status if they sought a salary.

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Once the suspect’s illicit activity was proven, he was arrested for allegedly violating workers’ rights.

At the time of the arrest, an investigation of the construction site discovered a lack of needed safety equipment. Seven workers were found as working without proper personal protective equipment, putting their physical safety at risk.

Investigators also discovered that the building lacked the required building permit, indicating that it was not authorised to carry out the activity.

The detainee was taken before the Benidorm Investigating Court.

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Two men arrested for drug trafficking in Benidorm

Benidorm Drugs Haul

According to police sources Yesterday, Friday 21st March, two men were arrested in Benidorm (Alicante) on suspicion of drug trafficking in a pub in the city’s English district, where they allegedly hid the drugs in fire extinguishers and cisterns in the establishment’s toilets.

During the raid, officers discovered 85 packets MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. Quique Tortosa, spokeswoman for Benidorm Local Police, said that the drugs were “hidden in fire extinguishers, toilet cisterns,” and under the establishment’s cash register. The arrested persons were allegedly protecting the drugs inside the premises, and officers recovered the cash they were carrying, which appeared to be “the proceeds of sales transactions,” Tortosa explained.

The operation is part of the Benidorm Local Police Response and Prevention Group’s daily inspections of the city’s leisure establishments. Themen have been turned over to the National Police for any required investigations.


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Car thief arrested in Aspe

Guardia Civil Aspe

A 35-year-old thief has been arrested for a succession of vehicle break-ins on the streets of the Alicante town of Aspe.

The man, a Spanish national, was apprehended by the Civil Guard after an investigation was initiated in response to an anomalous increase in this type of crime in the municipality.

The suspect employed a modus operandi based on observation. “He would steal valuables by breaking windows or exploiting unlocked cars when no one was present,” the police explained.

The burglaries persisted without interruption, and they even obtained access to a video that a witness had captured, in which a man was observed tampering with the interior of a vehicle.

The suspect, a criminal with a history of similar offences, was identified by the authorities as a result of the images. Simultaneously, investigators identified that certain stolen items were being advertised on online trading platforms, which expedited the investigation.

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The operation was successfully concluded with the detection of the individual and the recovery of numerous stolen items that were being sold online, thanks to the cooperation of neighbours and the efforts of the officers. A transverse flute, a violin, and numerous radio transmitters were among the items.

The suspect was ultimately apprehended at his residence, where additional items were confiscated, such as digital storage devices and eyeglasses. All of these items have been deposited in official custody at the court’s disposal, pending potential identification.

The detainee has been presented before Novelda Investigating Court No. 1, which has ordered his release on bail.

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