Investigators from 23 countries have dismantled a fraudulent “dark web” platform that claimed to sell images of child abuse, the European police agency Europol announced on Friday, which identified 440 clients.
“Operation Alice” targeted the operator of the platform, identified as a 35-year-old man based in China.
This dark web platform, “Alice with Violence CP”, claimed to sell images of child abuse and other “services” linked to cybercrime, such as credit card data, through more than 373,000 sites.
Customers were tricked into paying for these “products” but received nothing in return.
Europol estimates that the suspect earned around 345,000 euros from around ten thousand people who tried to buy this illicit material.
Police have so far identified 440 users of the platform and the investigation continues.
Operation Alice, which began in 2021, sends a “clear message,” Europol director Catherine de Bolle said in a statement.
“Criminals have nowhere to hide when international law enforcement works together. We will find them and hold them accountable,” she said.
