In mid-October 2025, Hungarian authorities conducted Operation Tartaros, a coordinated action targeting an online drug distribution network operating through the darknet and Telegram. The operation took place under the Delta Action Plan, a government initiative launched earlier in 2025 to address drug-related crime. A total of 460 officers carried out simultaneous raids at 61 locations, resulting in the arrest of 43 individuals. The effort was led by the National Bureau of Investigation (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda, NNI) with participation from the National Police Headquarters (ORFK), eight county police departments, the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK), the National Defence Service, the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), and the Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK).
Scope of the Delta Program
The Delta Action Plan, introduced in April 2025, is Hungary’s ongoing campaign against the trade and use of narcotics, with a focus on the digital sphere. Operation Tartaros represents its largest coordinated enforcement action to date. The operation followed several years of monitoring darknet markets, Telegram channels, and cryptocurrency transactions linked to Hungarian operators.
Investigation and Darknet Activity
According to official briefings, the NNI’s Debrecen unit began investigating the case more than a year before the raids, uncovering a Hungarian-founded darknet marketplace active for over two years. The platform allegedly operated through encrypted communication channels on Telegram and other anonymous services. Investigators identified over 10,000 postal parcels containing drugs, psychoactive substances, or counterfeit medication. Authorities estimate that the network’s activity affected as many as 40,000 individuals.
Logistics and International Distribution
The network reportedly sourced narcotics from the Netherlands, concealing them in baby food, pet food, and detergent packaging before sending them to recipients in Hungary and abroad. Packages were moved through national postal services, private couriers, food delivery companies, and dead drops. Some transactions were conducted in cash, transported across borders in shoeboxes, to avoid detection on cryptocurrency exchanges.
International and Digital Collaboration
The operation involved cooperation with Europol, Telegram’s security division, and 11 cryptocurrency exchanges. Investigators used digital forensics software, including Cellebrite Premium SaaS, to analyze seized electronic devices and link accounts, locations, and identities. Law enforcement agencies from 11 countries assisted in the operation, providing data related to online transactions and communication channels.
Seizures and Legal Actions
Authorities seized 24 kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, and new psychoactive substances, along with 135 electronic devices and 102 million forints (approximately €265,000) in assets. Of the 43 arrested, 24 were detained, 18 placed under pre-trial arrest, and 17 identified as users who are cooperating with the investigation. Several suspects were described as young, first-time offenders.
Ongoing Investigation and Arrest Warrants
Hungarian authorities have issued international warrants for individuals believed to have left the country during the investigation. Officials confirmed that the case remains open, with further coordination expected between Hungarian and foreign agencies.
Hungary’s Digital Enforcement Landscape
Operation Tartaros reflects Hungary’s increasing effort on online narcotics activity and the broader strategy to limit drug distribution networks that rely on encrypted platforms and cryptocurrencies. While the long-term outcomes of the Delta Action Plan remain to be seen, Tartaros illustrates how cross-border collaboration and forensic data tracing are now central components of Hungary’s approach to cyber-enabled drug investigations.
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