THE HAGUE: Police have arrested 354 people and seized large quantities of drugs, guns, and cash in a major global crackdown on users of the “dark web”, Europol said on Thursday.

The EU police body coordinated a worldwide sting, codenamed “Operation TorNado”, between May 2025 and October 2026 that resulted in hundreds of raids across the globe. Most of the arrests came in Britain (59 arrests) and the United States (132 arrests).

In Europe, authorities seized nearly one tonne of illicit drugs, including amphetamines, ketamine, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis.

More than 4.8 tonnes of drugs were recovered in the United States, along with 152 firearms and 150 million euros ($166m) in cash and cryptocurrency.

“The operation highlighted the evolving resilience of dark web marketplaces, which continue to adapt despite takedowns,” Europol said in a statement.

Police forces in 14 countries were involved in the operation, including Australia, France, Germany, Britain and the United States.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2026