Operation Alice successfully dismantled a massive dark web network consisting of over 373,000 fraudulent sites designed to lure and expose individuals seeking child sexual abuse material. This international law enforcement effort identified a primary operator in China and led to the seizure of over 100 servers used to facilitate this vast criminal infrastructure.
In early March 2026, a coordinated global law enforcement effort led by German authorities and supported by Europol targeted one of the most expansive networks of fraudulent platforms ever discovered on the dark web. The roots of this massive investigation trace back to mid-2021 when investigators first began monitoring a specific platform known as Alice with Violence CP. This long-term surveillance revealed that what appeared to be a vast marketplace for illicit content was actually a sophisticated trap and scam operation.
Authorities discovered that the platform's operator was managing an incredible network of more than 373,000 separate websites. These sites were used to advertise both child sexual abuse material and various cybercrime services, effectively luring users into a controlled environment. By creating hundreds of thousands of individual domains, the operator was able to cast an incredibly wide net across the dark web to attract unsuspecting users.
The tactical phase of the operation took place between March 9 and March 19, involving law enforcement agencies from 23 different countries. This massive international cooperation was necessary to map out the global digital footprint of the network. During this period, police focused on identifying the technical infrastructure supporting the sites and gathering evidence against both the provider and the users who accessed the services.
The investigation has already identified a single primary operator based in the People’s Republic of China who is believed to have controlled the entire network. At its height, the infrastructure relied on 287 servers, with over 100 located within Germany alone. Law enforcement successfully seized 105 of these servers along with various mobile phones and electronic devices, while German authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for the suspect.
Beyond the removal of the websites, the operation has sparked a wave of secondary investigations into the network's customer base. Police have identified at least 440 individual customers globally, leading to active probes against more than 100 people so far. This crackdown represents a significant milestone in disrupting illicit online networks and demonstrates the increasing ability of international police to cooperate across borders to tackle complex cybercrime.
Source: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/global-cybercrime-crackdown-over-373-000-dark-web-sites-shut-down