Europol’s Project A.S.S.E.T. identifies millions in criminal assets

Published on: 22 May 2026

Europol, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from 31 countries and leading private sector partners, has concluded its third and most successful operational week of Project A.S.S.E.T. (Asset Search & Seize Enforcement Taskforce). This initiative, organised by the Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC), has become a crucial component in the global fight against serious and organised crime and the seizure of criminal assets.

From 19 to 22 May 2026, Europol’s headquarters in The Hague hosted over 40 law enforcement agencies, including Asset Recovery Offices (AROs), Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), and specialised units focusing on money laundering and organised crime. The operation was supported by Eurojust, INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), and key private sector partners from the financial services and cryptocurrency industries. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and AMLA (Anti-Money Laundering Authority) also participated in the event.

Global cooperation and advanced investigative techniques

The operational week yielded remarkable results, demonstrating the power of global cooperation and advanced investigative techniques. Combining the efforts and expertise of both law enforcement and private sector partners, it led to the identification and tracing of a significant number of criminal assets:

• 884 bank accounts; 
• 80 companies;
• 55 crypto wallets;
• 74 vehicles and one vessel;
• 44 items of real estate (six of which are worth EUR 5.64 million combined);
• two suspected criminals were located, with one arrested via ENFAST.

The exact value of the identified assets will be determined in the follow-up investigations and analysis of the findings, but can already be estimated in millions of euros. These figures represent a significant leap forward in the global effort to disrupt criminal networks and seize their illicit proceeds. The operation also highlighted several new trends and modi operandi in money laundering and financial crime, providing valuable insight for future investigations.

Magnus Brunner

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration

“53% of adults in the EU have already been exposed to online and crypto-asset fraud. It has become a major source of revenue for organised crime. In our proposal to update Europol’s mandate, we will strengthen financial investigations through its cooperation with other key players, ensuring that we can stop fraud more effectively, quickly seize any form of currency, and increase recovery rates.”

Jürgen Ebner

Acting Executive Director of Europol

“Project A.S.S.E.T. has become an important operational platform in the fight against organised crime and criminal finances. During my visit to the taskforce at Europol Headquarters, I witnessed first-hand the extraordinary commitment and professionalism of investigators and partners working side by side across borders. Their efforts demonstrate how international cooperation and financial intelligence can strike directly at the financial foundations of organised crime.”

Jean-Philippe Lecouffe

Deputy Executive Director of Operations Europol

“This operational week delivered concrete results across multiple jurisdictions, from the identification of hundreds of bank accounts and crypto wallets to companies, vehicles and high-value real estate linked to criminal activity. The operation also generated valuable intelligence on emerging money laundering methods and criminal networks. These successes show the operational impact that close cooperation between law enforcement authorities and private sector partners can achieve.”

October 2025: Millions in criminal assets seized during dedicated crypto-week

This Project A.S.S.E.T. operational week followed a dedicated crypto-week held from 20 to 24 October 2025, which brought together law enforcement partners from 13 countries. That operation resulted in the identification of:

• 249 cryptocurrency addresses, wallets, and accounts with a total value of EUR 12.1 million;
• 74 bank accounts, with 1 bank account blocked;
• And 40 companies involved in criminal activities.
• 2 real estate properties with a combined value of EUR 3 million as well as 6 luxury vehicles were seized.

Europol’s contribution

Europol’s support was instrumental in this operational week’s success. The Agency’s financial and economic crime experts organised the event, while cryptocurrency experts, the EU Internet Referral Unit, and the Innovation Lab provided essential support in open-source intelligence, cryptocurrency tracing, and the use of cutting-edge tools. Asset recovery contacts were facilitated by the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN) Secretariat and the Europol Financial Intelligence Public-Private Partnership (EFIPPP) played a vital role in involving the private sector.

Project A.S.S.E.T. is supported by the @ON Network funded by the EU Commission, led by the Italian Antimafia Investigation Directorate (DIA).

Participating countries:

• Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom (as well as the Cayman Islands), United States