The operation, hosted at Europol headquarters in The Hague between 19 and 22 May 2026, led to the identification of hundreds of bank accounts, crypto wallets, companies, vehicles, and high-value real estate assets allegedly connected to criminal activity. Europol said the value of the identified assets is estimated to run into “millions of euros,” with detailed financial analysis still ongoing.
Hundreds of Bank Accounts and Crypto Wallets Identified
According to Europol, investigators identified 884 bank accounts, 55 cryptocurrency wallets, 80 companies, 74 vehicles, one vessel, and 44 real estate properties during the operational week. Six of the identified properties alone were estimated to be worth €5.64 million combined.
Authorities also located two suspected criminals during the operation, with one arrest carried out through the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST). Europol said the coordinated effort demonstrated the growing importance of financial intelligence and cross-border cooperation in disrupting organised crime ecosystems.
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The operation involved Asset Recovery Offices (AROs), Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), anti-money laundering investigators, and specialists focused on organised crime and cryptocurrency tracing. Eurojust, INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) also supported the initiative.
Europol Highlights Emerging Money Laundering Trends
Investigators said the operation generated intelligence on new trends and methods used in money laundering and financial crime. Europol noted that organised criminal networks increasingly rely on complex financial structures involving shell companies, layered bank transfers, crypto-assets, and cross-border asset concealment strategies.
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner stated:
“53% of adults in the EU have already been exposed to online and crypto-asset fraud.”
Jürgen Ebner, Acting Executive Director of Europol, said the taskforce had become “an important operational platform in the fight against organised crime and criminal finances.”
Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Executive Director of Operations at Europol, added that the operation produced “valuable intelligence on emerging money laundering methods and criminal networks.”
Crypto Assets and Financial Networks Under Greater Scrutiny
The May 2026 operation followed a dedicated cryptocurrency-focused operational week conducted in October 2025. Europol said that earlier operation resulted in the identification of 249 cryptocurrency addresses, wallets, and accounts valued at approximately €12.1 million, along with dozens of companies and real estate properties linked to criminal activity.
Europol has increasingly prioritised financial investigations as part of broader efforts to dismantle organised crime groups involved in cyber fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational financial crimes. Authorities believe targeting criminal assets directly weakens the operational capabilities of organised networks.
The agency also highlighted the role of private-sector cooperation, particularly from financial institutions and cryptocurrency companies, in tracing illicit financial flows and identifying suspicious transaction patterns.
International Cooperation Drives Asset Recovery Operations
Project A.S.S.E.T involved agencies from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Europol described the initiative as a growing international framework aimed at improving global asset tracing and seizure capabilities.
Officials stated that follow-up investigations are continuing across multiple jurisdictions to determine the exact ownership, origin, and criminal links of the identified assets. Additional seizures, freezing orders, and arrests may follow as financial analysis progresses.
