Police agencies in 14 countries have arrested a total of 354 people and seized large quantities of drugs, firearms and cash in a major international operation targeting criminal networks operating on the so-called dark web, US and European officials announced on Thursday.
Europol, the European Union's law enforcement cooperation agency, coordinated the worldwide operation, codenamed TorNado, which ran from May 2025 to October 2026 and involved hundreds of police interventions around the world.
Most of the arrests took place in the United States (132), the United Kingdom (59), Hungary (45), Germany (41) and France (23).
Across Europe, authorities seized almost one tonne of controlled substances, including amphetamines, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis.
"The operation highlighted the evolving resilience of dark web markets, which continue to adapt despite takedowns," Europol said in a statement.
Major drug and cash seizures in the United States
In the United States, authorities seized more than 4.8 tonnes of drugs, 152 firearms and assets worth €150 million in cash and cryptocurrencies, according to Europol.
"Operation TorNado tackled one of the most urgent threats of our time: the trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly drugs through the dark web," said Christopher Rya, deputy director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"We identified major dark web vendors," he added, saying that key elements of their networks, which had enabled them to continue operating, had been dismantled.
Law enforcement agencies from Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States were among those involved in the operation.
Source: CNA
