Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) announced on Friday that the international operation, codenamed “Operation Endgame 2.0,” led to the takedown of critical components of active cybercriminal networks and the identification of numerous suspects.
Coordinated Action Targets Malware Across Continents
Between May 19 and May 22, investigators from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States collaborated in a series of tightly coordinated raids. The operation resulted in:
- The identification of 37 suspects,
- 20 international arrest warrants issued,
- The seizure of control over approximately 300 servers, including 50 in Germany,
- The confiscation of Bitcoin worth around €3.5 million,
- The shutdown of about 650 domains used by cybercriminals.
These actions dealt a significant blow to the infrastructure that cyber gangs rely on to launch attacks and manage their malware operations.
Russian Links Dominant Among Suspects
According to the BKA, most suspects are believed to reside in Russia. A total of 37 individuals are under investigation, with 20 facing international arrest warrants. Germany’s BKA and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt’s Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT) have issued public search notices for 18 individuals believed to be members of the notorious “Trickbot” and “Qakbot” cybercrime groups.
One high-profile target is Vitalii Nikolaevich Kovalev, accused of founding and leading the Trickbot operation under aliases such as “stern” and “ben.” Authorities allege he played a pivotal role in orchestrating global cyberattacks, developing and distributing malware designed to compromise IT systems and steal sensitive data.
Operation Builds on German Cybercrime Initiative
Operation Endgame 2.0 is a continuation of an earlier German initiative launched in 2022. BKA President Holger Münch emphasized Germany’s particular vulnerability to cyber threats, stating: “Germany is a prime target for cybercriminals.” He added, “With Operation Endgame 2.0, we’ve proven that our investigative strategies are effective—even in the anonymous depths of the darknet.”
Investigations Rooted in Years of Work on Transnational Crime
The operation was the result of years of investigative work across multiple countries. In Germany, authorities are pursuing charges related to large-scale extortion and membership in internationally operating criminal organizations.
International Cooperation Key to Success
The coordination of the action involved close collaboration with Europol and Eurojust. On the German side, the BKA and the Frankfurt-based ZIT led the investigation. The BKA emphasized that international cooperation was essential to the scale and impact of the operation, marking it as one of the most significant cybercrime crackdowns to date.
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