In a major breakthrough against dark web crime, Europol Operation RapTor has led to the arrest of 270 individuals across ten countries, dismantling multiple transnational networks dealing in drugs, firearms, and illicit online trade. The coordinated sweep also resulted in the seizure of over €184 million (approximately ₹1650 crore) in cash and cryptocurrencies, two tonnes of narcotics, and 180 illegal firearms.
This operation is one of the most significant joint actions against anonymous cybercrime networks to date, highlighting the rising global cooperation to disrupt the infrastructure behind dark web marketplaces.
Global crackdown across four continents
Led by Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the operation was conducted with participation from law enforcement agencies across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. The highest number of arrests occurred in the United States (130), followed by Germany (42), the United Kingdom (37), France (29), and South Korea (19). Additional suspects were detained in the Netherlands, Austria, Brazil, Spain, and Switzerland.
The operation built on intelligence from previous takedowns such as Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Market. Investigators leveraged digital forensics, vendor tracking, and cross-border data-sharing mechanisms to trace illicit transactions and identify high-volume sellers operating under pseudonyms.
Seizures highlight scale of criminal enterprise
Authorities confiscated vast quantities of controlled substances including cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, cannabis, and ketamine. The drugs, much of it pre-packaged for export, were estimated to be enough to serve hundreds of thousands of users.
In addition to narcotics, law enforcement seized 180 firearms and recovered sophisticated laundering trails involving crypto mixers, anonymized wallets, and hard-to-trace digital payment systems. The financial flows suggest an advanced infrastructure enabling both peer-to-peer commerce and organized syndicates operating online.
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Following years of digital pursuit
Operation RapTor builds on previous major takedowns such as Operation SpecTor in 2023, which led to 288 arrests, and Operation DisrupTor in 2020. Europol and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team continue to review data from dark web platform closures like Hydra, which hosted over 19,000 seller accounts before it was shut down in 2022.
Authorities emphasized that long-term coordination and forensic collaboration across jurisdictions are now central to dismantling these networks. In addition to making arrests, agencies aim to permanently disable the digital infrastructure that allows dark web economies to flourish.
With cybercrime operations becoming increasingly decentralized and global in nature, officials consider RapTor a landmark moment that sends a clear warning to those relying on anonymity to conduct illicit trade. The crackdown is being seen as a demonstration of how digital crime, no matter how deeply embedded, can be traced and brought to justice through international cooperation.
