First VPN Seized by European Authorities Over Organized Crime Links
European authorities have seized a VPN known as 'First VPN' due to its connections with organized crime. The operation, named 'Operation Saffron,' involved multiple countries and revealed information on hundreds of users linked to criminal activities. This VPN was heavily advertised on cybercrime forums and was implicated in numerous cybercrime investigations.
- ▪First VPN was taken down following a collaborative investigation led by France and the Netherlands.
- ▪The operation dismantled 33 servers linked to the VPN in 27 countries.
- ▪Investigators have gathered intelligence on 506 users worldwide and 21 ongoing Europol-supported investigations.
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A VPN that was reportedly extremely popular among organized criminal groups has been taken down and seized following a collaborative investigation led by France and the Netherlands, dubbed “Operation Saffron.” It was supported by European Union anti-crime agencies Europol and Eurojust.The service, known as ‘First VPN,’ had reportedly been “deeply embedded” in the cybercrime ecosystem and appeared in “almost every major cybercrime investigation” supported by Europol in recent years. First VPN was promoted on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums as a tool to evade law enforcement and enabled anonymous payments, among other features designed specifically for criminal use.The agencies have now dismantled 33 servers linked to the criminal service in 27 countries.
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