On March 10th, the police, using the information obtained on the stick, got warrants and conduct searches all over Germany. An innocent resident of the same apartment building in Gohlis was also observed and suspected of being the operator of the Shiny Flakes drug delivery business, even though the police had succeeded in taking a picture of Maximilian at "his" package station and in following him back to his apartment building. Moreover, the relevant servers are located abroad. For the presentation of the confiscated drugs, the police set up long tables. Shiny Flakes' career was just another, short chapter in the online war on drugs, which has only just begun. The supposed anonymity of online dealing has changed the profile of the successful dealer. The authorities have elsewhere proved to not be all too tactically skilled in their investigation. Auch wenn das Urteil gegen den Betreiber des Online-Drogen-Shops „Shiny Flakes“ seit mehr als einem Jahr gesprochen ist, werden noch immer Ermittlungsverfahren gegen die Besteller eingeleitet. one reporter asks. They boast of having captured data from the darknet and employing highly-specialized IT cracks during the investigation, leading to its success. Whether it was actually posted by Shiny, who was a registered dealer on three deep web markets, can't be conclusively determined today—maybe Shiny was just trying to alienate other dealers that gave him bad ratings. "He's been a big mouth for as long as I've known him." He operated on the darknet and clearnet, advertised what he was selling openly, and felt safe—as safe as you can feel when you're selling a huge variety of illegal substances globally. Even though the two dealers respected each other, they ultimately found themselves in a competitive struggle. It's certain that Maximilian, should he be guilty of running Shiny Flakes, nonetheless operated with caution and sophistication for a long time and safeguarded himself in many respects. A profit margin of between 50 percent and 300 percent and revenue from several thousand customers of about a million euros in the last six months alone made him into a very young, very rich person, who was also under an enormous amount of pressure because of the nature of his business. The police also neglect to explain the origin of the message on Shiny Flakes' dealer profile on Evolution. In Leipzig soll ein 20-Jähriger mittels der Webseite „Shiny Flakes“ Drogen über das Internet verkauft haben. Yet Shiny was still careful when having a one-on-one conversation with Chris. Even though there is a 31-year age difference between the two, they meet regularly. Instead of spending his time worrying about Bitcoin transactions, supply-side issues, bagging out crystal, and paranoid customers' vitriol, Moritz now can enjoy the leisure of incarceration: Different leisure activities on offer at the detention center in Leipzig. If Maximilian had had a question for the driver, called him, and had been unable to reach him, he could have gotten alarmed and could have started destroying evidence. It was one of the biggest drug busts in German history. The starting point for the authorities' investigation was a package with insufficient postage that didn't find its way back to the (nonexistent) sender and was opened at some point. Shiny Flakes busted! ", "How am I supposed to picture this?" By the end of January, 2015, after keeping several package stations under surveillance, they identified an individual who was sending as well as receiving suspicious packages. A press conference held to discuss the standing of the case and the background of the investigation was filled with reporters from all the biggest German TV stations and newspapers, as you would expect. While the authorities continue trying to auction off the 1,197 bitcoins seized from his 10 wallets, his lawyer, Stefan Costabel, is pouring over the many boxes of investigation files, preparing for what may be his hardest defense ever. At the press conference, the police also claim to have seized 325,000 euros in Bitcoin and additionally claim to have "obtained active data from the darknet." The trial of Maximilian S., the alleged operator of the online drug market Shiny Flakes, began Monday in Leipzig. However, if Chris is right, this action gives surprising insight into the tactics that rival online dealers use to attack each other. Package stations and boxes, like these shown in Berlin-Pankow, played a central role in the business. Neue Netflix-Serie: "Shiny Flakes" und die Drogen aus dem Kinderzimmer Ein Schüler verkauft aus seinem Kinderzimmer übers Internet Drogen und verdient Millionen. "The police can make hundreds of mistakes. However the authorities won't speak to that, except for offering a suggestive, "Maybe.". "The customers have a thing for antisocial behavior, they kept coming back to him," says Chris, who knew Shiny from a bigger German online criminal forum. „Shiny Flakes“ vertickte Drogen aus seinem Kinderzimmer – und wird jetzt zur Netflix-Serie NOIZZ.de Leipzig , Berlin , Deutschland , Köln , Bingo „Shiny Flakes“: Über 4 Millionen Euro mit Drogenversand umgesetzt Leipziger Internet Zeitung One was the insufficient postage on a package that focused investigator's attention on Leipzig. Before he withdrew from the outside world, Maximilian pursued another career involving customer service. The logistic center in Leipzig in which the first suspicious packages surfaced. What's definite is that his aggressive rhetoric didn't harm his business. Coke and ketamine didn't make it into the picture. He seems to have been especially diligent about securing the door to his room—to this day the defendant claims that his mother and stepfather knew nothing about his profitable startup because he would fortify himself in his room whenever he was conducting business. Additionally, the police disclosed how much he made with his business. "It really wasn't a typical childhood bedroom, but who knows. Press photo: Deutsche Post AG. Drogenversand "Shiny Flakes": Shopbetreiber Maximilian S. kündigt Aussage an – Nachrichten aus Leipzig - Leipziger Zeitung Leipziger Internet-Zeitung Aktuelles in eigener Sache: Neue Website online 29. Shiny-Flakes-Prozess "Kinderzimmer-Dealer" geht gegen Urteil vor Von seinem Kinderzimmer aus betrieb Max S. einen florierenden Drogen-Onlineshop. We are now able to trace how the seizure was executed thanks to new information provided exclusively to Motherboard Germany. The police apparently also conducted test buys on the website. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. If he's prosecuted as an adult, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Er wurde inzwischen auch schon zu einer mehrjährigen Jugendstrafe Only a month prior to the seizure they had no idea who they were actually looking for, then imagine: They're standing in a 20-year-old's bedroom that's packed to the brim with drugs with a text document open on his laptop giving them access to all of his accounts. Faced with an overwhelming amount of evidence against him, Moritz's chances in court aren't looking too good, although he has retained the experienced defense attorney, Stefan Costabel. Shiny was notorious for his feisty conduct towards colleagues and clients, who he was happy to insult  repeatedly. However, his arrest will barely put a dent into dealing over the darknet. It's hard to imagine the amount of pressure the dealer must have been under. DHL became an unwitting accomplice in Shiny Flakes' drug business. It remains to be seen whether the new registrant will attract the attention of the Saxon Police. And this was Maximilian's forte. He's arrested before he can reach one of the drives containing incriminating material. Because Moritz—who thought he was invincible and who single-handedly built up and ran his drug empire, Shiny Flakes—still lives with his mom. So the police asked 23 post offices around Germany for similar instances and assessed the data they received. Der „Kinderzimmer-Dealer“ sitzt mit knallroten Ohren auf der Anklagebank im Landgericht Leipzig und legt ein Geständnis ab. Whether the former drug kingpin, who has been held in a detention center for half a year now, can still be prosecuted as a minor is also up for debate. A screencapture of Shiny Flakes' webshop shortly before it was taken offline. These kinds of packages continuously surfaced around Leipzig. Among the pills are several bulging freezer bags of high-dose, red pills of ecstasy known Burger Kings, which Shiny Flakes claimed to distribute exclusively. But if I, the dealer, make a mistake, it's deadly.". Leipzig Lokales Leipziger Online-Drogendealer „Shiny Flakes“ inspiriert Netflix-Serie 20:38 28.05.2019 Lokales Start am 31. They just want to make us paranoid. Am vergangenen Freitag nahmen Ermittler in Leipzig den Betreiber des Drogen-Versandshops "Shiny Flakes" fest. Polizei überführt Web-Dealer "Shiny Flakes" - posted in Allgemeines: Leipzig - Es ist einer der größten Drogenfunde in Deutschland: Die Leipziger Ermittlungsbehörden haben offenbar einen 20-jährigen Dealer überführt, der über das Internet in großem Stil Drogen verkauft haben soll. Georg*, 51, drives up to a young man's apartment in the north of Leipzig, Germany, on February 26th, 2015. The man behind Shiny Flakes has been sitting in penal facility since February 27th. Maximilian did not even own a pocket knife. For law enforcement, it's the conclusion of a meticulous months-long investigation, an equally historic and rare triumph against the online drug trade. Press Image: Deutsche Post AG. La strana carriera di Shiny Flakes si è conclusa con la confisca di 4.1 milioni di euro di droga dalla casa di sua madre. Shiny Flakes sent his goods in these kinds of packages, gladly throwing in a few gummy bears with the ecstasy. Maximilian S. verkaufte unter dem Namen "Shiny Flakes" von Leipzig aus große Mengen Rauschgift über das Netz. „ Netflix “ verfilmt die Story um Maximilian S. (23) aus Gohlis, der von seinem Kinderzimmer aus On Monday, August 24th, the trial of Maximilian S., the alleged operator of the online drug market Shiny Flakes, began in Leipzig. Nachrichten » "Shiny Flakes": 38 Hausdurchsuchungen nach Drogenfund in Leipzig Push Mitteilungen FN als Startseite dts Nachrichtenagentur 12.03.2015 | 10:58 … Shiny Flakes: Internet-Drogenhandel bringt "Kinderzimmer-Dealer" lange Strafe Als Schnapsidee hat ein 20-jähriger Leipziger seinen groß angelegten Online-Drogenhandel "Shiny Flakes… The pinpoint surveillance of Moritz's room, checking the incoming and outgoing mail at the nodal point of the DHL logistic center in Radeberg, right next to the Leipzig-Halle airport, and especially staking out certain package stations, that Mortitz allegedly continuously used, all heavily contributed to the success. If you believe the local police, nobody is out of reach of the law's eagle eyes. He was smart enough to know how to set up his online business with the help of Tor without being discovered. According to the police investigation, on the one hand, he built up a highly professional drug business (he disguised the revenue as profit from a registered freelance web design business); nevertheless, his success and the pressure that came with it made him less careful. In Leipzig haben sich nicht nur Online-Händler angesiedelt, die legale Waren vertreiben. What's more in question is why the police waited so long to take the apartment after arresting the courier. The longtime online dealer said Shiny had a very specific attitude and a strange sense of humor. According to the prosecutor, he's facing a sentence of 15 years for internationally distributing controlled substances. It's a routine pickup. The other was laziness: Maximilian kept using the same package station that was situated close to his house to send and receive drug parcels. What's clear is that Moritz is a highly intelligent nerd with arrogant tendencies. Shortly after the seizure, the Shiny Flakes website displayed a banner advertising career opportunities with the police in Saxony. Maximilian allegedly didn't just sell basically all illegal substances (except for heroin), he also dealt in a large variety of prescription drugs. This was when he began the clandestine setup of distribution channels for his steadily growing drug business. But this time, they aren't alone. The unlikely career of a darknet dealer ended when police confiscated 4.1 million euros worth of drugs from his childhood bedroom. Even before they descended on the home Moritz shared with his mother, the police had already intercepted 40 kilos of drugs in the mail. It was the culmination of an unprecedented career in drug dealing, which in less than two years turned the 20-year-old Mortiz* into one of the biggest online dealers in Germany, according to police. It was a pretty lucky find for the authorities. After completing high school in Leipzig in 2011, he began an apprenticeship in an Italian restaurant, where he's remembered for being hardworking but also stiff. "It really wasn't a typical childhood bedroom, but who knows.". Während eines Freigangs – S. ist nach wie vor in Haft – war er am Kölner He started using the same package stations all the time to send out his goods. After the drop, the courier took off, only to be nabbed by the police in a parking lot after turning a few corners while Maximilian was carrying the heavy boxes up to his room. The police had nothing on him online. At this point the authorities had amazing luck: Prosecutors allege that Maximilian was not as protective of his data as he let on in an interview with Motherboard. The jaw-dropping drug photo op at the press conference was able to bring an end so some of the online discussions about Shiny Flakes' whereabouts and identity. Urteil rechtskräftig: Shiny Flakes-Admin schuldet Deutschland mehrere Millionen Maximilian S. ist auf Jahrzehnte hochverschuldet—da hilft … This is where the police first discovered a suspicious, undelivered package. Using one for two years, the way Shiny did, is simply too long. Also, plain luck played a big role. Maximilian was a busy young man who planned his operations meticulously and was adequately equipped for comprehensive trade in narcotics worldwide. His shop sites' addresses were registered in Tonga and the Cocos Islands; the servers were in the Netherlands. ", DHL logistics hubs in Saxony like this one in Radeberg are the nodal points that the majority of Shiny Flakes' domestic and probably also international deliveries passed through. His competition also had him in their sights, especially over the last year. Another thing that stood out to investigators was the routine nature of his deliveries. It's very probable that Dutchmaster was one of Shiny's suppliers. The police only needed a few days to cull the seized hard drive, which was not encrypted, before they found what they were looking for: practically all the addresses of Shiny's bulk buyers in Germany, the people who ordered kilos of drugs from him to then further distribute. All images (when not stated otherwise) by Theresa Locker. On this mild winter day, the cops make their move. He knew that the police wouldn't be capable of reading his emails that were PGP encrypted or following his Bitcoin cash flows. He always ordered these taxis using a cell phone he used exclusively for this purpose. "Since he was an orderly person, he stored it all on shelves," an officer answers. Image: Myles Tweedle. Press images: Deutsche Post AG. According to prosecutors, a courier from the Netherlands drove to the Gohlis district of Leipzig each Thursday to replenish Maximilian's supply of drugs—investigators knew this from watching the package station and the entrance to his house. In an exclusive ​interview with Motherboard in September of 2014, Shiny said himself, "If a customer is unsatisfied with a product, I get very direct.". 2015 wurde er zu sieben Jahren … The authorities not only found a neatly laid-out list of deliveries made since December 2013, including notes made on individual orders, they also found a document listing all of the most important logins for running his platforms. Officers in Leipzig apprehended two individuals they believe to have been involved in the web-based Shiny-Flakes narcotics dealership, one a 20 … But the police weren't the only ones on Moritz's heels. Und in etwa vier Jahren dürfte der „Shiny-Flakes“-Dealer bei guter Führung auch schon wieder frei sein. Moritz mainly sent his packages within German-speaking countries, but some made it all the way to Indonesia, sometimes by registered mail, often to automated package stations or PO boxes, and, for bigger orders, as traceable deliveries with tracking numbers. Wenn das kein Grund zur Freude ist! The authorities were very lucky. Two mistakes sealed Maximilian's fate. The amount of drugs allegedly found in his room is over 15,000 times more than what the law defines as "minor amounts." After the police became suspicious of a package with insufficient postage on it, all they had to do was keep an eye out for more packages of the same size with the various stamps and return addresses. The police publicized the success of their raid that afternoon, uploading on both Shiny Flakes' clearnet website and on his Onion domain, hosted on the darknet, an advertisement for careers in the Saxon police: "One job—1000 possibilities." On February 24th, the authorities allowed Maximilian to meet the courier to receive 25,000 ecstasy pills, 20 kilos of hash, 10,000 doses of LSD and 27 kilos of amphetamine without incident. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. Fall „Shiny Flakes“ - Kinderzimmer- Dealer jetzt Stoff für Netflix-Serie Leipzig – Ein Leipziger Kriminalfall wird zur Comedy-Serie. They also confiscate 48,000 euros in cash and an unbelievable cache of 320 kilos of all sorts of drugs, sorted, and stored on the shelves in Moritz's childhood bedroom. However, it is possible that when the police confiscated Moritz's laptop during the raid, he was still logged into his Bitcoin wallet. A small selection of the drugs found in Moritz's room: hash, speed paste, kilos of ecstasy. "But if I, the dealer, make a mistake, then it's deadly.". A mysterious post on Shiny Flakes' dealer profile on another darknet black market now appears to be a kind of prophecy: "Dealers, run for your lives.". Ein 20-Jähriger hatte die Drogen gehortet, um sie über den Webversand "Shiny Flakes" gewinnbringend zu verkaufen. They had nothing on him until they were in his room, which was his warehouse and his headquarters. "The police can make hundreds of mistakes," another drug dealer, who's known Shiny for a while, explained regarding the pitfalls of online dealing. To hand over kilos of drugs. And the authorities have another thrilling piece of information for those interested in bureaucracy in the audience: "He didn't keep accounting books." They not only found a neatly laid-out list of all deliveries, they also found a text document on his laptop containing the most important logins. A few of the drugs seized from Maximilian's room at the press conference about his arrest. Professional Nerds won't be tried as Juveniles. The reporters are happy to have the police teach them about the darknet. When the 20-year-old recipient of the drug delivery realizes what's going on, he runs back up the stairs into his mother's apartment and starts ripping the cables out of his hard drives. Press Images: ​Deutsche Post AG. A successful plea to the court to try him as a juvenile after he single-handedly constructed an extremely profitable drug business currently seems unlikely.