17 Arrested in Major UK Organized Crime Raids
Police targeting a suspected organized crime group made 17 arrests in dawn raids across multiple English counties.
Seventeen people were arrested in dawn raids targeting a suspected organized crime group, with police operations conducted at 24 properties across London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk. More than 800 officers participated in the coordinated actions early Tuesday morning.
Searches at the raided properties are ongoing, and a police presence is expected to remain in the areas for several days, according to the Metropolitan Police. During the operation in Cockfosters, Barnet, an officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in the leg while executing a warrant. A 56-year-old man was also arrested in connection with this incident on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH).
The investigation, a joint effort involving the Metropolitan Police, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), aims to disrupt serious and organized criminal activities and related financial offenses. The FCA has reportedly disrupted seven businesses and is actively pursuing an additional 30.
Those arrested include 15 men aged between 26 and 65, and two women aged 31 and 41. They are being held on suspicion of involvement in the activities of an organized crime group, money laundering, cheating the public revenue, false accounting, and conspiracy to commit GBH. The Metropolitan Police stated that the arrests represent a significant development in the investigation, targeting individuals suspected of holding senior roles within the criminal organization.