Norway Arrests 28 in Global Dark Web Crackdown Using Monero Tracing

Norway's Kripos arrested 28 individuals across seven countries for using Monero to purchase child sexual abuse material on dark web forums. The operation, conducted in early June 2026, involved international cooperation with Europol. Authorities seized over 460 items, including electronic devices and illegal drugs, and safeguarded three children. The arrests highlight the effectiveness of new tracing methods developed by Kripos in 2025 for tracking Monero transactions, a privacy coin previously thought to be untraceable. This crackdown is part of a broader trend of enhanced forensic crypto analysis in combating dark web crime. Further arrests are anticipated as the investigation continues, with one suspect reportedly using AI to generate illegal content.

Key Points: • 28 arrests made across seven countries in a dark web operation. • New tracing methods for Monero transactions were developed by Kripos in 2025. • Three children were safeguarded during the operation, highlighting its humanitarian impact.