Albania, Germany and others: Operation “Stream”, on one of the most extensive operations in Europe to shut down darknet platform ‘Kidflix’ used for child sexual exploitation

2026 marks the 25^th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (also known as the Budapest Convention ).

H ere are 25 selected real cases and operations against cybercrime that speak for themselves on the usefulness and relevance of the Convention and its framework in the daily work of criminal justice authorities worldwide, working on fighting against cybercrime and protecting you and your rights in cyberspace.

Back to the main page

Retour Albania, Germany and others: Operation “Stream”, on one of the most extensive operations in Europe to shut down darknet platform ‘Kidflix’ used for child sexual exploitation

Albania, Germany and others: Operation “Stream”, on one of the most extensive operations in Europe to shut down darknet platform ‘Kidflix’ used for child sexual exploitation

Operation “Stream” represented Albania's participation in a major international crackdown against online child sexual exploitation and abuse, led by the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB) and the Bavarian State Criminal Police, and supported by Europol, with law enforcement agencies from over 35 countries taking part (Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States).

Acting on intelligence shared by German counterparts and Europol, Albania's cybercrime unit launched an investigation that led prosecutors in Tirana to open a criminal case, resulting in the identification and arrest of a 29-year-old man in Tirana on suspicion of online child sexual abuse. The case forms part of a broader investigation into Kidflix, one of the world's largest paedophile platforms, which had drawn 1.8 million users globally between April 2022 and March 2025 before its server, containing roughly 72,000 videos, was seized by German and Dutch authorities on 11 March 2025.

Globally, the investigation has identified nearly 1,400 suspects, with at least 79 arrests so far for sharing or distributing child sexual abuse material, with some individuals also suspected of directly abusing children. Albanian State Police have stated their continued co-operation with international partners to combat cybercrime and protect minors from online exploitation, as the investigation continues.

Operation “Stream” involved several core procedural mechanisms under the Budapest Convention. The fact that the Albanian investigation was triggered by intelligence received from German counterparts and Europol highlights the importance of international co-operation under Articles 25 and 31. The identification of the Albanian suspect required production orders under Article 18 to obtain subscriber or access-related data from service providers, potentially preceded or accompanied by preservation requests under Articles 16 and 17. In the broader Kidflix investigation, the seizure of the server and exploitation of the data stored on it also reflect the importance of Article 19 in securing and analysing stored computer data for evidential purposes.

Cybercriminalité