European law enforcement authorities seized more than 4.5 million euros in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies along with 800,000 doses of LSD.
In one of the largest ever drug raids in Europe, The Spanish Guardia Civil and the Austrian Federal Police, supported by Europol- the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement, dismantled a criminal network producing and distributing synthetic drugs worldwide, known as new psychoactive substances or NPS, on the Darknet webpages.
The police arrested eight people accused of drug trafficking, money laundering by selling cryptocurrencies, mainly Bitcoins, and membership of a criminal organisation. The arrests were made after searching six houses in Spain and one in Austria.
More than 4.5 million euros in Bitcoins, IOTA, and lumen was seized by law enforcement authorities.
They seized over 100 different types of NPS in two laboratories in Spain, whose market value exceeds 12 million euros. The amount of confiscated LSD marks it the biggest ever haul of this type of substance and derivatives in the European Union.
The officers also seized 2.3 million euros in cash and bank accounts, three real estate properties valued at 1 million euros, and ten luxury vehicles.
Regulators around the world are closely watching cryptocurrencies amid concerns over using them widely for money laundering and drug trafficking by criminals.
Last week's international conference in The Hague brought together the EU law enforcement agency and stakeholders of cryptocurrency trade in Europe to assess ways to crack down on the use of digital assets for money laundering, as concern mounts over the criminal exploitation of the nascent technology. They discussed how to foster the legitimate use of this virtual monetary system often abused by hackers, international drug dealers, and the money movers of organized crime.
Fortune reported that the U.S. last year made $48 million from the sale of bitcoin seized from the shut down of the Silk Road online drug market. Also, the U.S. marshals in January had auctioned off $52 million worth of bitcoin, seized from drug dealers.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.