Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

288 people arrested by Europol in massive dark web crackdown

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Europol
  • 3 May 2023 10:50
2 Min Read

The items seized by Europol include €50.8 million ($53.4 million) in cash and digital currencies, 850 kilograms (1,870 pounds) of drugs and 117 guns. 

  • x
  • (Reuters)
    A detail of cocaine, found in over 1,700 tins of wall filler, after German authorities seized more than 16 tonnes of cocaine in the northern port city of Hamburg, Germany, February 24, 2020. (Reuters)

Europol said on Tuesday it arrested 288 vendors in the framework of a coordinated operation to seize the "Monopoly Market" dark web marketplace.

The arrests occurred in nine different countries, including in the US (153 arrests), the UK (66 arrests), Germany (52 arrests), the Netherlands (10 arrests), Austria (9 arrests), France (5 arrests), Switzerland (two arrests), Poland and Brazil (one arrest each). 

"A number of these suspects were considered high-value targets by Europol," a statement by Europol said.

🚨 288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure.

Operation #SpecTor led to the seizure of:
💶 EUR 50.8 million
💊 850 kg of drugs
🔫 117 firearms

The #MonopolyMarket vendors arrested were also active on other illicit marketplaces.

More ⤵️https://t.co/fDbWJbeFiM pic.twitter.com/086e1XMCUo

— Europol (@Europol) May 2, 2023

Among the seized items include €50.8 million ($53.4 million) in cash and digital currencies, 850 kilograms (1,870 pounds) of drugs and 117 guns, the statement noted. 

As for the drugs, Europol seized over 258 kilograms of amphetamines, 43 kilograms of cocaine, 43 kilograms of MDMA and over 10 kilograms of LSD and ecstasy pills.

Related News

Israeli media: EU suspends cooperation with Israeli police

EU funding to Kiev is investment in more hostilities: Russian FM

Other investigations are still ongoing to locate other individuals connected to dark web markets, the statement added. 

'Super-cartel' controlling a third of Europe's cocaine trade busted

Earlier in November 2022, Europol announced that a large-scale international police operation took down a "super-cartel" that was responsible for more than 30 percent of the cocaine trade in Europe, seizing around 30 tons of the narcotic.

According to a statement released by the EU's police agency, 49 individuals were apprehended in several countries such as Belgium, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, including six main suspects in Dubai, and the cartel was aimed at operations transporting the drug from South America to Europe through Antwerp and Rotterdam ports.

"The drug pins, considered as high-value targets by Europol, had come together to form what was known as a 'super cartel' which controlled around one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe," the Europol statement said at the time.

The operation also brought down an "extremely big fish" based in Dubai and originally from the Netherlands. 

Europol also stated that six people linked to the cartel were arrested in France, while ten were apprehended in Belgium and thirteen in Spain.

Read more: $3M worth of Fentanyl intercepted at restaurant in Maine

  • europol
  • Drugs
  • Dark Web
  • Drug

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS