News

Two largest cybercrime forums in the world taken down

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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Aurigny will operate flights between Alicante and Guernsey this summer

Aurigny Air Services plane on a runway at sunset with scenic hills in the background.

Aurigny has announced the inclusion of a seasonal route between Guernsey and Alicante in its summer schedule. It will be the sole direct flight between the Spanish metropolis and the Channel Islands.

The schedule comprises weekly flights from July 5th to August 9th, which are operated by ATR 72-600 aircraft. A total of 432 seats are available during this time.

Flight GR 800 Guernsey 08:10 – 12:20 Alicante on Saturdays.
Flight GR 801 Alicante 13:20 – 14:55 Guernsey on Saturdays.

Alicante, Porto, Nice, and Bastia comprise the organisation’s new summer routes.

In comparison to previous years, when Aurigny operated flights to Alicante, Malaga, Menorca, Palma de Mallorca, and Valencia, its presence in Spain in 2025 will be smaller, despite this expansion.

The route to Alicante is also distinguished by its length, as it is the longest route in Europe and one of the longest in the globe for the ATR 72, with an estimated duration of 3 hours and 10 minutes and a distance of 1,250 kilometres, according to the Cirium platform.

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15-year-old boy caught driving three times the speed limit

Local police in the Alicante municipality of San Vicente del Raspeig have located and identified a 15-year-old boy who boasted in a video uploaded to the social media platform TikTok about driving at 120 kilometres per hour.

The video, which was captured at 1:30 p.m. on February 19th on Calle Río Turis in San Vicente, seess him driving a car at a speed that was three times the maximum speed limit of 40 km/h. Additionally, he is accompanied by other juveniles inside the vehicle.

The young man is facing charges for a variety of potential road safety violations, such as irresponsible driving, driving without a licence and speeding.

According to a police report that has been submitted to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office in Alicante, the car in which the minors were travelling is owned by the driver’s father. The report identifies all occupants.

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Hiker rescued after sustaining a head injury during a fall

Today, the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium rescued a 77-year-old man who suffered a head injury after sliding while hiking in Collado del Polçet, Cabeçó d’Or, Alicante.

According to the aforementioned agency, the Alpha 01 rescue helicopter and the GER special rescue group were dispatched to the location at approximately 1:38 p.m. upon receiving the alert.

The injured individual was immediately evacuated to the helipad of the Doctor Balmís General Hospital in Alicante by the firefighters after they had located him. The operation concluded at approximately 3:05 p.m.