Operation Tornado: 354 arrests in Darknet raid, 41 in Germany
Europol dismantles international drug network on Darknet. The operation resulted in the seizure of nearly six tonnes of drugs and over 210 million euros.
Europol concludes large-scale Darknet operation
Europol has dismantled an internationally operating criminal network on the Darknet. According to ndr.de, "Operation Tornado" led to 354 arrests worldwide between May 2025 and October 2026, with 41 in Germany. Investigators pursued cybercrime activities, drug trafficking, and the illegal sale of firearms.
According to the EU police authority, those charged include both drug dealers and buyers of illegal goods. In Germany, the operation involved the Federal Criminal Police Office alongside various customs and police authorities – including the Central Criminal Investigation Unit Oldenburg, which has previously participated in several international raids against illegal Darknet platforms.
During searches of hundreds of residential properties worldwide, investigators seized nearly six tonnes of drugs and criminal assets worth more than 210 million euros in cash and cryptocurrencies. The United States accounted for the largest share with 132 arrests and three-digit million-euro amounts of seized assets. In Europe, approximately 950 kilogrammes of drugs were secured, including 150 kilogrammes of amphetamines in Germany.
According to Europol, the success of the operation shows that criminals continue to attempt to build new structures despite the earlier closure of major illegal marketplaces. Measured by the number of arrests, the operation ranks among the most successful of its kind. The Darknet is an encrypted internet area that is only accessible via specialist software and evades access by ordinary search engines.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)