Operation Stoner
| Native name | Operación Stoner |
|---|---|
| Date | 11 April 2024 |
| Location | Multi-country (Europe and beyond) |
| Type | Coordinated law enforcement action day |
| Cause | Investigation into the JuicyFields online investment fraud |
| Participants | Multiple national police and judicial bodies, coordinated via Europol and Eurojust |
| Arrests | 9 |
Operation Stoner (Spanish: Operación Stoner) was a coordinated law-enforcement action day carried out on 11 April 2024 across 11 countries against individuals suspected of running the online investment fraud scheme commonly known as JuicyFields. According to contemporaneous reporting, nine people were arrested and 38 properties were searched, with authorities estimating about €645 million in losses affecting roughly 186,000 investors worldwide.[1][2]
Spanish media identified the operation by the codename Operación Stoner and reported investigative activity centered on Tenerife, including searches linked to luxury real-estate and vehicles allegedly used in money laundering associated with the scheme.[3]
Background
Beginning in 2020, JuicyFields (also known as Juicy Holdings B.V.) solicited funds from retail investors with promises of high monthly returns ostensibly generated by investing in medical cannabis plants. Investigative reporting and subsequent police actions have described the project as a large-scale online investment fraud (Ponzi scheme), with tens of thousands of investors unable to access their accounts after the platform collapsed in mid-2022.[1][2]
Action day (11 April 2024)
On 11 April 2024, law-enforcement agencies in 11 countries executed coordinated arrests and searches targeting the alleged organizers and facilitators of the JuicyFields scheme. Reporting at the time cited joint coordination via Europol and Eurojust, with nine arrests and 38 searches.[1] Coverage also noted investigative leads in Spain's Canary Islands and ongoing inquiries into associated payment and laundering channels.[3]
Subsequent developments
Following the April action day, cross-border judicial cooperation continued. In August 2024, a Russian national identified in press accounts as a leader in the network, Sergei Berezin, was extradited from the Dominican Republic to Spain in connection with the case.[4][5]
Participating countries
Contemporaneous international coverage described the April 2024 action as spanning 11 countries, including Spain and other European jurisdictions. Precise lists varied by outlet; authorities consistently reported multi-country participation under Europol/Eurojust coordination.[1][2][5]
Impact
Authorities and media described the April 2024 action as a major step in dismantling the JuicyFields network, with investigators estimating about €645 million in victim losses and around 186,000 affected investors worldwide. The case remained ongoing as of 2025, with further judicial proceedings anticipated in Spain and other jurisdictions.[1][2][3]
See also
- JuicyFields - the underlying online investment fraud scheme
- Eurojust
- Europol
References
- ^ a b c d e Cuadrado, Raisa; Jones, Sam; Olloqui, Andre (12 April 2024). "Police arrest international gang in $686 million medicinal cannabis scam". Reuters. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d Sabaghi, Dario (16 April 2024). "JuicyFields' Nearly $700 Million Cannabis Scam Case Leads To 9 Arrests". Forbes. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b c Pareja, Pol (2 June 2024). "Villas de lujo y coches deportivos: el escondite en Tenerife de los responsables de la estafa piramidal del cannabis". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Russian leader of cannabis fraud extradited to Spain". Dominican Today. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Police arrest international gang in $686 million medicinal cannabis scam". Voice of America. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2025.