BreachForums Takedown: Five Alleged Operators Arrested in France

In a major blow to the cybercrime underground, five alleged operators of the notorious hacking forum BreachForums were arrested in France on June 24, 2025. This international law enforcement operation, involving French police, Europol, and the FBI, marks a decisive moment in the battle against online data trafficking and cyber extortion.

🌐 International Operation Targets Darknet Criminal Network

The arrests were made in a coordinated raid in:

• Paris (Hauts-de-Seine) – believed to be the leadership center (alias: ShinyHunters)

• Rouen (Seine-Maritime) – linked to infrastructure and server management

• Réunion Island – suspected developer (alias: Noct)

The operation follows the earlier February 2025 arrest of “IntelBroker”, a prominent British hacker involved with the forum.

Agencies involved:

• France’s elite cybercrime unit BL2C

• Europol and FBI Cyber Division

• Digital forensic teams from both sides of the Atlantic

👤 Who Are the Suspects?

According to investigators, the five suspects played key roles in the forum’s development, moderation, and operation. Here’s what we know:

💻 What Was BreachForums?

BreachForums emerged in 2022 as the successor to RaidForums, quickly becoming the go-to marketplace for stolen data, hacking tools, and exploits. It hosted:

• Thousands of users from across the world

• Data leaks from companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, AMD

• Government, healthcare, and law enforcement data breaches

After the arrest of its original creator, Conor Fitzpatrick aka “Pompompurin”, in 2023, control passed to a rotating group of admins, including ShinyHunters and IntelBroker.

🧠 Timeline of the Crackdown

1. March 2023 – Pompompurin arrested in the U.S.

2. 2023–2024 – Forum relaunched under new leadership

3. February 2025 – IntelBroker arrested in the UK

4. Spring 2025 – Surge in high-profile hacks; authorities begin infiltration

5. June 24, 2025 – Simultaneous raids across three French regions

Investigators seized:

• Laptops and encrypted servers

• Cryptocurrency wallets

• Chat logs and leaked databases

⚖️ Legal Repercussions

The suspects now face serious charges, including:

• Participation in a criminal cyber network

• Large-scale identity theft and data trading

• Illegal access to government and corporate systems

Penalties:

• In France, sentences could reach up to 10 years

• IntelBroker faces extradition to the U.S., with potential penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison

📉 Impact on the Cybercrime Ecosystem

With BreachForums now completely offline, a major hub for illicit data trade has disappeared. However, cybersecurity experts warn that:

• Criminals may regroup in smaller forums

• Encrypted Telegram channels are replacing traditional marketplaces

• A shift toward decentralized cybercrime networks is underway

Security analyst Troy Hunt commented:

“This is a huge blow to data traffickers — but cybercrime evolves quickly. The takedown will force them underground, not eliminate them.”

📁 What Happens to the Data?

Authorities have begun analyzing several terabytes of seized digital evidence, including:

• Massive lists of stolen credentials

• Cryptocurrency transaction records

• Messages linking BreachForums admins to ransomware gangs like LockBit and BlackCat

This could lead to further arrests in the weeks to come.