A Virginia man was found guilty of conspiring to destroy dozens of US government databases after being fired from his job as a federal contractor, prosecutors said.

Sohaib Akhter, de 34 años, y su hermano gemelo, Muneeb Akhter, fueron condenados previamente en 2016 por acceder ilegalmente a los sistemas del Departamento de Estado y robar información personal de colegas y un investigador federal. Tras cumplir sus penas de prisión, los hermanos fueron readmitidos como contratistas por una empresa que alojaba datos gubernamentales para más de 45 agencias federales en Ashburn, Virginia.

According to court documents, the brothers were fired during a remote online meeting, after the company discovered Sohaib Akhter’s prior felony conviction. In revenge, the pair accessed company systems without authorization and deleted nearly 96 government databases within hours.

The destroyed data reportedly included sensitive investigative records from multiple federal agencies and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents. The brothers allegedly used commands to lock databases before deleting them and later attempted to cover their tracks by wiping company laptops and destroying evidence.

In November 2025, both men were charged with computer fraud, destruction of records, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government information. Sohaib Akhter is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9, 2026, and faces up to 21 years in prison. Muneeb Akhter faces a maximum sentence of 45 years on multiple computer fraud and identity theft charges.

German authorities dismantle Crimenetwork 2.0, arrest alleged operator

Las autoridades alemanas han cerrado una versión relanzada del mercado clandestino Crimenetwork y detenido a su presunto operador en una operación policial internacional coordinada.

La plataforma original Crimenetwork, considerada el mayor mercado de ciberdelincuencia de Alemania, operó durante más de una década tras su lanzamiento en 2012. El sitio facilitaba la venta de datos robados, servicios digitales ilegales, narcóticos y otros bienes ilícitos, atrayendo a más de 100.000 usuarios registrados.

The reanimated marketplace attracted more than 22,000 users and over 100 vendors, generating at least €3.6 million ($4.2 million) in revenue. During the latest operation, authorities seized approximately €194,000 in suspected criminal assets and collected significant amounts of user and transaction data for ongoing investigations. According to authorities, the platform’s technical infrastructure was hosted on servers belonging to a company in Moldova.

Authorities first dismantled the platform in late 2024, arresting one of its administrators and seizing infrastructure linked to the operation. However, the marketplace quickly reappeared under a new operator using fresh infrastructure and the same branding.

Earlier this month, Spanish police arrested a 35-year-old German national in Mallorca under a European arrest warrant. Prosecutors allege the suspect rebuilt and relaunched Crimenetwork only days after the original shutdown in December 2024.

Meanwhile, the operator of the original Crimenetwork platform was sentenced in March to seven years and 10 months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than €10 million in criminal proceeds. The ruling, however, is not yet final.

Administrador de Kingdom Market condenado a 16 años de prisión

Un hombre eslovaco que ayudó a operar el mercado Kingdom Market de la Dark Web ha sido condenado a más de 16 años de prisión por su papel en facilitar la venta de drogas ilegales, información financiera robada y documentos falsificados.

Alan Bill, de 33 años, se declaró culpable en enero de 2026 de conspiración para distribuir sustancias controladas tras admitir que ayudó a gestionar la plataforma entre marzo de 2021 y diciembre de 2023. Las autoridades estadounidenses detuvieron a Bill en el aeropuerto de Newark en diciembre de 2023, poco antes de que la policía alemana incautara los servidores del mercado y cerrara la operación.

Kingdom Market era un importante mercado subterráneo utilizado por ciberdelincuentes y narcotraficantes para vender sustancias ilegales, documentos de identidad falsos, malware y datos financieros robados. Bill prestaba servicios de administración web, promocionaba el mercado en foros en línea y mediaba en transacciones a cambio de pagos en criptomonedas.

German authorities said the platform had thousands of customer accounts and several hundred vendor accounts. Payments were processed using cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero and Zcash, with operators collecting a 3% commission on sales.

El desmantelamiento implicó la cooperación entre las fuerzas del orden de Estados Unidos, Alemania, Suiza, Moldavia y Ucrania.

Alleged Dream Market administrator arrested in Germany

German and US authorities have arrested a man accused of running the Dream Market marketplace. Owe Martin Andresen, 49, was taken into custody during coordinated raids on three locations in Germany on May 7 following a US indictment.

Dream Market, one of the largest Dark Web marketplaces before its shutdown in 2019, offered illegal drugs, stolen personal data, counterfeit documents, and other illicit goods. Prosecutors allege Andresen, who allegedly has helped operate Dream Market since 2013, has laundered millions of dollars in commissions earned from Dream Market transactions, including converting cryptocurrency into gold bars shipped to his home in Germany.

El mercado anunció su cierre tras una ofensiva policial internacional que condujo a decenas de arrestos. Sin embargo, la identidad del administrador principal detrás de la plataforma permaneció desconocida durante años hasta que las autoridades rastrearon las carteras de criptomonedas vinculadas a Dream Market hasta Andresen a finales de 2022.

Según se informa, Andresen blanqueó aproximadamente 2 millones de dólares entre agosto de 2023 y abril de 2025. Durante las redadas, las autoridades incautaron aproximadamente 1,7 millones de dólares en lingotes de oro, 23.000 dólares en efectivo, así como cuentas bancarias adicionales y carteras de criptomonedas que contenían otros 1,2 millones de dólares presuntamente vinculados a la operación.

Andresen now faces six counts of money laundering and six counts of international money laundering in the United States. If convicted on all charges, he could face decades in prison. He also faces additional charges in Germany, though it's unclear if Andresen will be extradited.

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Sospechoso chino de ciberdelito extraditado a Corea del Sur en caso de piratería informática por 25 millones de dólares

A Chinese national accused of masterminding a major cybercrime operation was extradited from Thailand to South Korea, Seoul’s Justice Ministry announced. Authorities allege the suspect ran an overseas hacking network that stole more than $25 million from victims, including celebrities and business executives.

The 40-year-old suspect is accused of operating a hacking organization based in Thailand and other countries between August 2023 and April 2025. The group allegedly breached websites of budget mobile carriers and other companies, using stolen personal data to gain access to victims’ bank and cryptocurrency accounts.

According to local media reports, one of the alleged victims was a BTS megastar who had his identity stolen by the hackers. The perpetrators used the singer’s data to access his securities account and attempted to transfer HYBE shares worth 8.4 billion won ($5.6 million). Financial losses were reportedly prevented after payment suspension measures were implemented.

The suspect was arrested in Bangkok during an Interpol-led operation and extradited to South Korea. Last August, authorities extradited another alleged accomplice, a 36-year-old Chinese national, from Thailand. He was indicted the following month, and his trial is ongoing.