Over $200 Million Seized in Operation Targeting Fentanyl Sales

A global crackdown led by U.S. and international law enforcement agencies has resulted in 270 arrests and the seizure of over $200 million in cash and digital assets. The operation, known as Operation RapTor, targeted individuals involved in illegal drug sales on dark web platforms, with a particular focus on fentanyl trafficking.

Good to know

• Authorities seized more than two metric tons of drugs, including fentanyl-laced substances.
• Over 180 firearms were recovered during the coordinated raids.
• The operation involved cooperation from 10 countries, including the U.S., UK, Germany, South Korea, and Brazil.

Operation RapTor was described by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as the largest action ever led by the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team. The effort involved Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and law enforcement from several countries, operating on intelligence gathered from past darknet marketplace takedowns.

Platforms like Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets were previously shut down, and the information recovered from those investigations played a central role in tracking down targets. The arrests were coordinated but carried out independently within each participating country.

In total, officials recovered over 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced substances and more than 180 firearms. The seized drugs amounted to over two metric tons and included a wide range of narcotics that were trafficked through encrypted platforms.

First-Ever Sanctions Under JCODE Operation

One notable aspect of the operation was the use of financial sanctions. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), acting as a member agency of JCODE for the first time, imposed sanctions on Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad. Parsarad, founder of the Nemesis Market, was also indicted in Ohio on drug trafficking charges following the platform’s shutdown.

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the scale and intent behind the operation, stating:

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today.”