Europol Newsroom • 2h
Operation Tornado: International Takedown of Five Dark Web Markets
Operation Tornado is a coordinated international law enforcement action targeting five Tor-hidden dark web markets facilitating opioid and fentanyl trafficking. The DOJ, Europol, FBI, DEA, and partner agencies executed 354 arrests and seized approximately $234 million in cryptocurrency and assets. Investigators deanonymized actors through blockchain analytics, seized server infrastructure and hosting logs, and extracted vendor-customer messaging databases, PGP keys, and administrative panels. The operation disrupts darknet drug distribution infrastructure and intercepts illicit financial flows supporting synthetic narcotics.