According to the BKA, large quantities of narcotics were traded and computer sabotage was offered using DDoS attacks
[datensicherheit.de, 01.11.2024] According to a current report from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), in an internationally coordinated operation by the Central Office to Combat Internet Crime (ZIT) of the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Hessian State Criminal Police Office (HLKA) and the BKA Suspected of various cybercrime crimes On October 31, 2024, HLKA officers executed two arrest warrants and secured extensive evidence. “The two accused, aged 19 and 28, from Darmstadt and the Rhein-Lahn district are accused of having provided and administered various criminal infrastructures on the Internet, which, among other things, were used to trade narcotics in large quantities and to computer sabotage using so-called DDoS attacks were used.”
BKA: Children and young people are particularly at risk from drug trafficking
The accused are suspected, among other things, of operating a criminal trading platform on the Internet for commercial purposes and as a gang in accordance with Section 127 of the Criminal Code (StGB). The two accused have already been brought before the magistrate, who Execution of pre-trial detention have ordered. Specifically, the two defendants are accused in the HLKA investigation phase of having, as administrators of the online platform “Flight RCS”, offered and sold, among other things, narcotics in large quantities.
According to the BKA, “Flight RCS” was accessible via the free Internet (“Clearweb”) Marketplace for designer drugs and “liquids” made from synthetic cannabinoids – these are consumed using “vape pens” or with mixtures of herbs, have become particularly popular among children and young people and often lead to intoxication and medical emergencies.
BKA took over investigations into the online platform for stress services
In addition, the two accused are accused in the BKA investigation of being involved in the operation of the online platform “Dstat.CC”. This was a central scene platform that provides a comprehensive list and evaluation of so-called stressor services Easily and quickly carry out DDoS attacks to attack websites or other web-based services and limit their availability or render them completely unresponsive.
With this platform, such DDoS attacks have been made accessible to a wide range of users, even without their own in-depth technical skills. “The use of stresser services to carry out DDoS attacks has recently become increasingly known in the context of police investigations and has also been used by ‘hacktivist’ groups such as ‘Killnet’.” The current measures are part of the international operation “PowerOff”in which a large number of international law enforcement agencies took action against such “DDos-as-a-Service” services.
Concerted action by the HLKA together with the BKA and the North Rhine-Westphalia Police
A total of seven objects were searched during this concerted action by the HLKA together with the BKA and the North Rhine-Westphalia police. “These were located in Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, the Rhein-Lahn district and the Rheinisch-Bergischen district. In the way of international cooperation Seizures and support took place in France, Greece, Iceland and the United States of America.”
“As part of these measures, the IT infrastructures of the criminal platforms were also secured.” Die secured data are the basis for further investigations against criminal sellers and users of these platforms. The measures are a further blow against actors in the “underground economy” and demonstrate the effectiveness of international law enforcement in the digital space. “Security banners were posted on the two websites.”
ZIT, HLKA and BKA honor the joint success of the search
“The renewed blow against the ‘underground economy’ on the Internet shows that criminal trading platforms exist not only in the ‘darknet’ but also in the so-called clearnet Prohibited goods and services offered become”explains the head of the ZIT, senior public prosecutor Dr. Benjamin Krause, and praises the success of the investigation: “But the strike also shows that law enforcement authorities are capable of dismantling the IT infrastructure of these platforms and identifying and arresting the people suspected of being behind them.”
“The allegations against those arrested are serious. I am therefore very pleased about this success in the investigation and the progress of the operation. The result of the operation makes it clear once again that there is no anonymity for criminals on the Internet.”comments the President of the Hessian State Criminal Police Office, Andreas Röhrig. Rather, security authorities are also succeeding in this highly complex and cross-border investigations like this one, to identify suspects.
The BKA Vice President, Martina Link, concludes by emphasizing: “This success shows once again that together we can successfully take action against such cyber criminals by: Identify suspects and their infrastructure and by securing it, generate new investigative approaches.” The following also applies in cyberspace: “The security authorities are able to act!”
Further information on the topic:
datensicherheit.de19.09.2024
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