Dark web crackdown nets 354 arrests in Operation TorNado

A global dark web crackdown codenamed Operation TorNado has led to 354 arrests and the seizure of large amounts of drugs, guns and cash, US and European officials said on Thursday, November 12. Police forces in 14 countries took part, according to an AFP report published by the Bangkok Post.

Europol, the European Union's police cooperation agency, said it coordinated the worldwide sting with law enforcement partners between May 2025 and October 2026. The operation resulted in hundreds of raids across the globe.

Where the arrests took place

The United States accounted for the largest share of suspects. The breakdown of the top five countries was:

• United States: 132 arrests
• Britain: 59 arrests
• Hungary: 45 arrests
• Germany: 41 arrests
• France: 23 arrests

The remaining arrests were spread among the other countries involved in the operation.

What police seized

In Europe, authorities seized nearly one tonne of illegal drugs, including amphetamines, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis.

The haul in the United States was larger. Officials said more than 4.8 tonnes of drugs were recovered there, along with 152 firearms and 150 million euros (about US$166 million) in cash and cryptocurrency.

FBI: fentanyl at the heart of the dark web crackdown

FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia presented the results at a press conference in Washington. He described the trade in fentanyl and other deadly drugs through the dark web as one of the most urgent public safety threats of the present day.

Raia said investigators had worked with domestic and international partners to identify prolific dark net vendors. Authorities linked online identities to real-world offenders, traced illegal financial transactions and dismantled key parts of the infrastructure that allowed these networks to operate, he said.

He also issued a direct warning to anyone selling fentanyl, synthetic opioids or other dangerous drugs online. "The anonymity you believe protects you is not a shield," Raia said, adding that investigators would pursue sellers wherever they operate, from a basement or warehouse to the other side of a body of water.

Markets that keep coming back

Europol struck a more cautious note. In a statement, the agency said the operation "highlighted the evolving resilience of dark web marketplaces, which continue to adapt despite takedowns."

That is a familiar pattern. Dark web markets are hidden sites that can only be reached with special anonymising software, and sellers often move to new platforms when one is shut down. That is why, as Raia described, investigators in this case worked to link online accounts to real people and to trace the money they moved.

Why it matters in Asia

Although no Asian country was named among the leading arrest locations in the report, online drug sales and anonymous payments are a concern across the region. Thai authorities have stepped up action against digital crime and document fraud, as seen in our coverage of the fake ID crackdown in Chiang Mai and the recent Thailand cyber alert.

Operations like TorNado show how cooperation across borders, shared intelligence and financial tracing can reach suspects who believed they were invisible online. Firearms are part of the picture too, which ties into wider efforts to control weapons, including the gun licence ban reported earlier this week.

Key facts on Operation TorNado

Here is a short summary of what officials have released so far:

• Name: Operation TorNado, coordinated by Europol.
• Period: May 2025 to October 2026.
• Scale: 354 arrests, with police in 14 countries involved.
• Seizures: nearly one tonne of drugs in Europe; more than 4.8 tonnes, 152 guns and 150 million euros in cash and crypto in the US.

Officials did not say in the report how many of those arrested have been charged or when court cases might begin. Further details may emerge as national prosecutors in the countries involved move forward with their cases.

For now, the dark web crackdown stands as one of the larger coordinated actions against online drug markets, and a reminder that police in Europe and the United States are prepared to spend more than a year building cases before making arrests.

Image: The Europol building in The Hague, the Netherlands, headquarters of the agency that coordinated the dark web crackdown. Photo by OSeveno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.