#germany

A 28-year-old Russian, described as a Qilin core member, was arrested in Osaka in May 2026 and handed to Germany on 2 October over a September 2024 attack on a German logistics firm and a ~¥26M Bitcoin ransom. The case rests on investigative sources, not a published charging document.

A classified Customs directive published by Netzpolitik shows German agencies link a police computer to a suspect's messenger account using the apps' own multi-device feature. The BGH ruled in January that seizing chat history this way is unlawful; the directive, dated a month later.

A market that took only Monero ran for five years and €330 million. The playbook that broke Silk Road and AlphaBay did not apply — and the authorities who dismantled it have not said what did.