Operation TorNado is an international police operation against dark web drug sellers and buyers that led to 354 arrests in 13 countries, announced on Thursday, November 12, 2026, by Europol and the US Justice Department.[1][2] Police seized more than $234 million in cash and cryptocurrency, about 5.7 tonnes of drugs including fentanyl, and 209 firearms.[2][3] The US had the most arrests (132), followed by the United Kingdom (59).[1][2][4]
 | |
| Type | Coordinated action against dark web drug trafficking[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Period | May 2025 to October 2026[2][3][4] |
| Announced | Thursday, November 12, 2026[1][2] |
| Led by | Europol and the FBI-led JCODE team (US)[1][2] |
| Countries | 14 took part, arrests in 13[1][4] |
| Arrests | 354 (US 132, UK 59)[1][2] |
| Seized | $234M+ cash and crypto, 5.7 t of drugs, 209 guns, 38 pill presses[2][5] |
| Previous operation | RapTor, 270 arrests (2025)[5][6] |
What was announced
Europol, the European Union's police agency, published the results on the afternoon of November 12, and the US Justice Department, the FBI and other US agencies held a news conference in Washington later the same day.[1][2][4] Both said the operation targeted people who sell and buy illegal drugs on dark web markets, the hidden websites that can only be reached through anonymity software such as Tor.[1][2]
The Justice Department called it the sixth and "most extensive" international action by JCODE (the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team) since that team was set up in 2018.[2][5] FBI Director Kash Patel called it "the largest interagency takedown of Dark Web drug vendors and buyers to date".[2][5]
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the operation "crippled Dark Web market vendors and will bring alleged drug traffickers to justice".[2][5] At the news conference, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia said: "The anonymity you believe protects you is not a shield."[4]
Arrests by country
Europol lists arrests in 13 countries. The United States had 132, the United Kingdom 59, Hungary 45, Germany 41, France 23, New Zealand 13, the Netherlands 12, Slovenia 11, Austria 6, Ireland 5, Czechia 4, Australia 1 and Finland 1.[1] The US Justice Department gives the same figures except for Australia, where it counts two arrests.[2][5]
The 14th country is Montenegro. Its police did not make an arrest but carried out a "knock and talk", a visit to a home to question the people living there.[1] Finland, besides its one arrest, interviewed 159 people.[1]
See also: Binance hack explained, another case where the FBI followed crypto payments.
What police seized
Across all countries, the Justice Department counts more than $234 million in cash and virtual currencies, about 5.7 metric tonnes of drugs, 209 firearms and 38 pill presses.[2][3][5] Europol puts the money at more than EUR 210 million.[1] The drugs included fentanyl and other opioids, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA.[2][5]
Europol split the totals by region:[1]
- United States: more than 4.8 tonnes of drugs, 152 firearms and over EUR 150 million (USD 166 million) in cash and cryptocurrency.[1][4]
- Europe: about 950 kg of drugs, 57 firearms and over EUR 60 million in cash and crypto.[1] The biggest single hauls were 150 kg of amphetamines in Germany, 150 kg of ketamine in the UK, 40 kg of MDMA in the Netherlands and 50 kg of cannabis in France.[1]
- Other items: magic mushrooms, THC vapes and more than one million prescription tablets.[1]
Which dark web markets were involved
TorNado was mainly a follow-up. Police went after vendors and buyers who had been active on five big markets that law enforcement had already taken down: Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom and Tor2Door.[1][2] Data from those seized sites helped investigators match vendor accounts to real people.[2][5]
The Justice Department also names DrugHub, a market that accepts only the privacy coin Monero, as one where vendor accounts were linked to real sellers.[2][5] Europol says the operation reached beyond big markets too, to forums, single-vendor shops and encrypted messaging apps.[1]
How the vendors were found
Each country ran its own investigations, with Europol checking cases against each other so that two police forces were not chasing the same suspect.[1] Europol sent staff to Czechia and Slovenia during the action days, and its blockchain analysts traced crypto payments.[1]
The FBI gave one example. In Ohio, investigators looking into two suspected overdose deaths traced the drug packages to a dark web vendor working from a home in North Carolina. In June 2026 agents arrested a suspect there and seized about 200 grams of methamphetamine and more than 2 kg of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.[2][3]
The Justice Department said the US cases include vendors accused of mailing counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with nitazenes, synthetic opioids that can be as strong as fentanyl or stronger, to buyers in 49 states.[2] Those people are charged, not convicted.
How it compares with earlier operations
TorNado is the latest in a series of joint US and Europol sweeps, all with "Tor" in the name. By arrests it is the largest so far:
| Operation | Announced | Arrests |
|---|---|---|
| DisrupTor | 2020 | 179[9] |
| Dark HunTor | October 2021 | 150[10][11] |
| SpecTor | May 2023 | 288[8] |
| RapTor | May 2025 | 270[6][7] |
| TorNado | November 2026 | 354[1][2] |
What happens next
The work is not over. The Justice Department and the FBI both say investigations are still under way in several countries to identify more people behind anonymous accounts.[2][3] In the US, the arrests have led to dozens of federal prosecutions.[2]
Europol also warned that the dark web keeps adapting. Citing its 2026 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment, it pointed to three trends: markets splitting into smaller specialist sites, criminals mixing dark web forums with encrypted chat apps, and new markets quickly replacing the ones police close.[1]
Frequently asked questions
What is Operation TorNado?
A coordinated police action against dark web drug sellers and buyers, run from May 2025 to October 2026 by Europol, the FBI-led JCODE team in the US and police in 13 other countries. It was announced on November 12, 2026, with 354 arrests.[1][2][3]
How many people were arrested in the UK?
59, the second-highest number after the United States (132).[1][2]
How much money was seized?
More than $234 million in cash and cryptocurrency, according to the US Justice Department, or more than EUR 210 million in Europol's figures.[1][2]
Which dark web markets were targeted?
Users of five markets that had already been seized (Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom and Tor2Door), plus DrugHub, forums, single-vendor shops and encrypted messaging services.[1][2]
What is JCODE?
The Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team, an FBI-led group of US agencies set up in 2018 that includes the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation and the US Postal Inspection Service.[2][5]
References
- "354 dark web vendors and buyers arrested in Europol-coordinated global crackdown", Europol, 12 November 2026.
- "International Law Enforcement Operation Targeting Opioid and Fentanyl Traffickers on the Dark Web Results in over 350 Arrests Worldwide", US Department of Justice, 12 November 2026.
- "Operation TorNado Leads to More Than 350 Arrests Across 14 Countries", FBI, 12 November 2026.
- "Operation TorNado: Global dark web crackdown nets 354 arrests, nearly six tonnes of drugs", Malay Mail (AFP), 13 November 2026.
- "Operation TorNado leads to 354 arrests in dark web drug crackdown: DOJ", The National News Desk via WPDE, 12 November 2026.
- "270 arrested in global dark web crackdown targeting online drug and criminal networks", Europol, 22 May 2025.
- "US, Europol arrest 270 dark web drug traffickers in Operation RapTor", The Record, 23 May 2025.
- "288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure", Europol, 2 May 2023.
- "International sting against dark web vendors leads to 179 arrests", Europol, 2020.
- "150 arrested in dark web drug bust as police seize €26 million", Europol, 26 October 2021.
- "Police arrest 150 people globally in dark web sting: Europol", Al Jazeera, 26 October 2021.