The German police have initiated the raid on "Kidflix" – a platform on Darknet that has functioned as a kind of Netflix for child abuse material.
The site's server, which contained tens of thousands of abuse films, was seized on March 11 by German and Dutch authorities.
Nearly 1,400 users in 40 countries have been identified. In Sweden, the police have struck against 15 individuals, suspected of child pornography offenses for having purchased access to abuse material via cryptocurrency.
Now we're analyzing all the data to see if they've just looked at pictures or if they've done something else, says Lena Larsson, acting investigation leader at the police's national operational department.
Many users have believed themselves to be safe from the police simply because they've used cryptocurrency.
You think then that it can't be traced, but you shouldn't think you're invisible just because you've paid with cryptocurrency. You always leave tracks behind, says Larsson.
The largest in history
The operation was coordinated by the EU police cooperation Europol and the operation is said to be the largest against sexual exploitation of children in the organization's history.
When it comes to the fight against abuse material, police cooperation across borders works well, notes Lena Larsson.
We have regular conferences and meetings, both at Europol and Interpol. We have a good network and if something comes up, you can get in touch directly and quickly get help.
Receiving tips from foreign authorities about suspected Swedes is welcome for the Swedish police.
Often it's people who aren't in our registers previously, says Larsson.
Often pops up again
The service was launched in 2021 by a cybercriminal, who has earned enormous sums from it, according to Europol. 91,000 unique abuse films have been uploaded and shared. Between 2022 and 2025, it had around 1.8 million users.
It's very many. But it's about both those who have only bought temporary access and subscribers, says Lena Larsson.
That this particular platform has been shut down does not necessarily mean it's gone.
Unfortunately, these sites often exist mirrored and pop up again, but we haven't seen it do that yet, and working internationally, you at least have a chance to follow up and take down the next site, says Lena Larsson.
