Europol’s Operation Dragon Targets Darknet Crime

Europol’s Operation “Dragon” was a large-scale initiative aimed at combating human trafficking, illegal immigration, cocaine and heroin trafficking, synthetic drugs, cybercrime, illegal arms trade, document forgery, and more. Coordinated by Europol and Frontex, thousands of law enforcement officers were deployed to hundreds of locations starting in early 2017. The operation included a series of targeted actions from June 5 to October 20, with the goal of disrupting the activities of organized crime groups and vendors in these sectors.

Key Actions and Results

• Airport Action Days: 66 countries, 84 airlines, 230 airports, and organizations such as Europol, Eurojust, Ameripol, CLASIP, INTERPOL, Frontex, NKFTA, and UNODC launched a global campaign against online ticket fraud. Europol noted that fraudulent ticket purchases are often linked to more serious crimes. The joint action took place from June 5 to June 9 and again from October 16 to October 20, resulting in the arrest of 153 suspects.
• Cyber Patrol Week: From June 12 to June 16, 2017, 25 countries participated in the first-ever coordinated week of action against evolving darknet crime. The operation targeted cybercrime and illegal drug trafficking. Over 40 specialists identified around 272 darknet market participants, with 73 individuals selected for broader investigations. Europol reported that 42 entities were found to be involved in multiple crime sectors.
• Large-Scale Joint Action Day 1: All 28 EU member states, five non-EU countries, CCWP, INTERPOL, MAOC-N, and Europol focused on human trafficking, cocaine trafficking, and border checkpoints from October 9 to October 13. Authorities arrested 692 people and launched nearly 400 new drug trafficking investigations. Seized items included:
  • 267 kilograms of cocaine
  • 19 kilograms of amphetamine
  • Almost 2 kilograms of MDMA
  • 327 ecstasy tablets
• Large-Scale Joint Action Day 2: Europol, Frontex, and 18 countries helped seize 136 firearms and 7,000 rounds of ammunition between November 17 and 18.

Other Europol Operations in 2017

Operation Dragon was not Europol’s only major action in 2017. In July, 76 suspects were arrested for e-commerce fraud during the “E-Commerce 2017” operation. In May, Europol warned the public that the “dark web is a haven for organized criminals in the EU.”