Law enforcement agencies in 14 countries arrested 354 suspected dark web vendors and buyers in Operation TorNado, a coordinated crackdown that targeted criminal networks using major online marketplaces, forums, single-vendor shops and encrypted messaging services. Europol said the operation ran from May 2025 to October 2026 and involved hundreds of house searches worldwide.
The operation focused on people linked to five major dark web marketplaces — Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom and Tor2Door — after authorities took down their infrastructure. Investigators also used cross-border intelligence sharing and forensic analysis to identify suspects active on other forums and encrypted services. Europol said authorities seized about five tonnes of drugs and over €210 million in criminal assets, including cash and cryptocurrency.
The United States recorded the highest number of arrests, with 132, followed by the United Kingdom with 59, Hungary with 45 and Germany with 41. France reported 23 arrests, while the Netherlands, New Zealand and Slovenia reported 12, 13 and 11 respectively. Agencies from Australia, Austria, Czechia, Finland, Ireland and Montenegro also took part in the operation.
Operation TorNado follows earlier international efforts against dark web crime, including the 2025 Operation RapTor crackdown and the 2023 Operation SpecTor arrests.
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