UK police arrest 17 in major crackdown on organised crime

The Metropolitan Police have arrested 17 people in a major operation targeting a suspected organised crime group following dawn raids at 24 properties across London and four other counties.

More than 800 officers took part in the operation in the early hours of September 29, at addresses in London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Searches remain ongoing at several properties, with a police presence expected to continue for several days.

A police officer was stabbed in the leg while executing a warrant at an address in Cockfosters, Barnet. The officer was treated at the scene by colleagues and paramedics before being taken to hospital, where his injuries were assessed as non-life-changing.

The arrests follow months of investigation by specialist Metropolitan Police detectives working with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Officers from both agencies are supporting the ongoing searches.

As part of the wider operation, the FCA has disrupted seven firms and is pursuing a further 30.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “These arrests mark a significant point in this investigation. Those arrested are suspected of leading or being involved at a senior level in serious and organised crime and related financial offending.

“We know the impact of serious and organised crime stretches well beyond those at senior levels of the organisations involved. Lines can often be drawn from the top, all the way to those involved in the criminality that blights communities, including serious violence and exploitation.

“Investigating these groups is among the most complex work the Met undertakes. It requires a significant investment of time and money and the expertise not just of specialist police officers but of colleagues from partner organisations like HMRC and the FCA.

“We hope these arrests show how determined we are to ensure organised crime groups cannot operate freely in London. We will work tirelessly to identify them, to gather evidence and to take action.”

An FCA spokesperson said: “Tackling financial crime requires the type of partnership shown by today’s joint action and the many months of close cooperation leading to it.

“We’ll continue to work with the police and others to identify and disrupt organised crime groups who abuse our financial system to launder dirty money.”

An HMRC spokesperson said: “Today’s action highlights the importance of close collaboration between HMRC and other law enforcement partners in tackling serious and organised crime, including suspected money laundering and other criminal activity.”

By Vafa Guliyeva