Asset

In brief

• Operation RapTor resulted in 270 arrests across 10 countries and the seizure of $200 million in cash and crypto, making it the largest enforcement action under the DOJ’s JCODE initiative.
• Authorities confiscated over two metric tons of drugs, including 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced substances, much of it trafficked through crypto-linked darknet markets.
• U.S. prosecutors charged several major traffickers, including the operators of Nemesis and Incognito Markets, who used crypto to sell opioids and conceal proceeds.

A global law enforcement operation has resulted in the seizure of $200 million in cash and digital assets and the arrest of 270 individuals across 10 countries, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Dubbed Operation RapTor, authorities say the coordinated strike dismantled darknet drug networks fueling the fentanyl epidemic, marking the largest seizure to date under an initiative known as J-CODE.

Authorities confiscated over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced substances, 180 firearms, and hundreds of millions in crypto assets, as per the DOJ statement released Thursday.

The operation, led by the DOJ’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team in coordination with Europol and dozens of international agencies, targeted drug vendors and marketplaces in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.

Established in 2018, J-CODE seeks to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the most prolific criminal enterprises that rely on the internet or advanced technology to facilitate the trafficking of opioids.

“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web.”

The mission points to the growing concern over how crypto is being leveraged to traffic opioids and launder profits. 

Cartel-linked money couriers have funneled at least $5.5 million in stablecoins like USDT to Chinese fentanyl precursor suppliers, according to a March report from Chainalysis, which revealed what the firm dubbed an “on-chain fentanyl economy.” 

TRM Labs previously reported that 97% of Chinese chemical vendors surveyed accepted crypto, revealing how stablecoins have become critical infrastructure for global trafficking networks.

Those on-chain patterns mirror the behavior of individuals already prosecuted by the DOJ under Operation RapTor.

Among them was Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad, indicted in Ohio and sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC in its first action as a J-CODE member for operating Nemesis Market, a darknet platform that sold opioids and concealed profits through crypto wallets.

Federal prosecutors brought similar charges against Rui-Siang Lin, who ran Incognito Market, “one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet,” with him pleading guilty in December to narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and selling misbranded medication.

Just this week, Telegram shut down Haowang Guarantee, a sprawling black market linked to over $27 billion in illicit transactions across Asia’s cyber scam economy. 

Described by blockchain firm Elliptic as “the most prolific crypto-fueled black market ever seen online,” Haowang Guarantee trafficked in laundered USDT, fake IDs, and tools for industrialized fraud, often exploiting victims trapped in scam compounds.

Most recently, Pedro Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, were indicted in California for fentanyl trafficking amid reports linking their Sinaloa Cartel faction to crypto-based laundering through Chinese brokers.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

Daily Debrief Newsletter

Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

Source link