A global operation targeting the dark web has resulted in the arrest of 270 individuals involved in drug and weapons trafficking, as well as the sale of counterfeit goods. The operation, named “RapTor,” was carried out in ten countries across four continents and was announced today by Europol.
According to the statement, the operation dismantled international criminal networks trading in narcotics, firearms, and fake products. The suspects were identified through coordinated investigations based on intelligence obtained from the takedown of several dark web marketplaces, including Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Market.
Law enforcement agencies in ten countries arrested individuals suspected of conducting thousands of illegal transactions on dark web platforms. These individuals reportedly used encryption tools and cryptocurrencies to conceal their activities.
In the United States, 130 people were arrested, followed by 42 in Germany, 37 in the United Kingdom, 29 in France, 19 in South Korea, four each in Austria and the Netherlands, three in Brazil, and one each in Switzerland and Spain. Investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to track down additional individuals involved in dark web crime.
The international sweep led to the seizure of over 184 million euros in cash and cryptocurrency, more than two tons of drugs including amphetamines, cocaine, ketamine, opioids, and cannabis, over 180 firearms including replicas, stun guns, and knives, 12,500 counterfeit items, and more than four tons of illegal tobacco.
Europol stated that these seizures represent a significant disruption to the supply chains supporting the dark web economy. The agency contributed by gathering and analyzing intelligence packages derived from data recovered during the takedowns of the targeted marketplaces.
270 arrested in global dark web crackdown targeting online drug and criminal networks | Europol https://t.co/h7cMCWmMNr Known as Operation RapTor, this international sweep has dismantled networks trafficking in drugs,
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Edvardas Sileris, head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, said that the RapTor operation proves the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement, and emphasized Europol’s commitment to making the internet safer. European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, highlighted the evolving nature of organized crime, which now operates both online and offline, locally and internationally, and stressed the importance of coordinated responses to confront these challenges effectively.
The RapTor operation follows last year’s SpecTor initiative, which led to 288 arrests. The latest action involved cooperation from law enforcement agencies in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
