Back Corkbeo.Ie Five arrested in Ireland as part of major crackdown on dark web services
The global operation saw more than five tonnes of drugs and over €210 million seized
Five people have been arrested in Ireland as part of a major international crackdown on dark web activity. The arrests were made by Europol agents working alongside officers from 14 countries as part of Operation TorNado, a cross-border effort targeting guns, drugs and cybercrime .
The operation was launched in May of last year and concluded last month. During that time, agents searched hundreds of homes, made 354 arrests and seized five tonnes of drugs alongside more than €210 in criminal assets.
The operation built on the success of prior collaborative efforts such as RapTor (2025), SpecTor (2023), Dark Huntor (2021), and DisrupTor (2020), all of which are named after the 'Tor' browser commonly used to access the dark web. These operations focused on disrupting criminal networks operating offering illicit goods and services.
This effort included a follow-up action focused on the identification of suspects after the takedown of five major dark marketplaces: Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom, and Tor2Door.
Additionally, law enforcement targeted vendors and buyers active on forums, single-vendor shops, and encrypted messaging services. National authorities conducted independent investigations with Europol's support, including cross-checks via SIENA and forensic analysis.
In European countries, authorities seized 950kg of drugs in total. The largest quantities were 150kg of amphetamines in Germany, 150kg of ketamine in the UK, 40kg of MDMA in the Netherlands, and 50kg of cannabis in France, as well as cocaine.
Seizures also include magic mushrooms, vapes containing THC, as well as more than one million prescription tablets. Furthermore, 57 firearms and ammunition were seized, along with over €60 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. In the United States, over 4.8 metric tonnes of illicit drugs, 152 firearms and over €150 million in cash and cryptocurrencies were seized.
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