Police arrest 354 dark web suspects, authorities say

Authorities arrested 354 suspected dark web vendors and buyers during Operation TorNado, which ran from May 2025 through October 2026 across 14 countries. BleepingComputer published the results on 13 November 2026, citing Europol and the US Justice Department.

The Justice Department said intelligence from earlier takedowns of marketplaces and vendor targets in an operation called JCODE helped investigators identify suspected drug traffickers. TorNado brought together complementary but separate investigations, rather than one simultaneous raid.

What authorities seized

Separate investigations, shared support

Investigators targeted vendors and buyers on the dark web marketplaces Archetyp, Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia and Kingdom. Europol said authorities also targeted vendors and buyers active on forums, single-vendor shops and encrypted messaging services.

Europol said national authorities conducted their own investigations with its support, including cross-checks via SIENA and forensic analysis—the examination of evidence.

The Justice Department said cooperation across the US government and Europol significantly disrupted the online opioid trade. Europol also said the operation highlighted how dark web marketplaces continue to adapt despite takedowns.