Raids on suspected organised crime see 17 arrested

Police carried out dawn raids across 24 locations in London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, resulting in the arrest of 17 individuals suspected of involvement in an organised crime network. Over 800 officers participated in the operation, which began in the early hours of Tuesday. Searches continue at several of the premises, and a police presence is expected to remain for several days, according to the Metropolitan Police. During the execution of a warrant in Cockfosters, Barnet, an officer was stabbed in the leg; the injury is not life‑threatening. The arrests stem from a joint investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA reported that it has disrupted seven businesses and is actively pursuing a further thirty. A spokesperson said: "These arrests people a important constituent successful this investigation." "Those arrested are suspected of starring oregon being progressive astatine a elder level successful superior and organised transgression and related fiscal offending." In total, fifteen men aged between 26 and 65 and two women aged 31 and 41 were taken into custody. They are held on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, money laundering, defrauding public revenue, false accounting and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Additionally, a 56‑year‑old man was arrested on suspicion of GBH connected to the stabbing incident.