Europol said police in 14 countries arrested 354 people in Operation TorNado, which ran from May 2025 to October 2026. Officers also searched hundreds of homes. The targets were vendors and buyers on dark web markets, which are hidden sites that sell illegal goods. BleepingComputer named five markets: Archetyp, Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia and Kingdom. Europol said police in Europe seized 950 kilograms of drugs, 57 firearms and over €60 million in cash and cryptocurrency. US authorities seized over 4.8 metric tonnes of drugs, 152 firearms and over €150 million.
Europol described the method in steps. Five major markets were taken down first. A follow-up phase then aimed to identify suspects. National police ran their own cases. Europol cross-checked data through SIENA and kept cases from overlapping. Its forensic and blockchain teams traced illicit transactions. The sources do not say how many of the 354 were vendors or buyers. They also do not say whether charges have been filed.
Europol said the operation also reached forums, single-vendor shops and encrypted messaging, and follows RapTor, SpecTor, Dark Huntor and DisrupTor. Its 2026 threat report says disrupted markets are quickly replaced. For security teams, that suggests watching several channels, not one marketplace.