Seventeen arrested in dawn raids targeting suspected organised crime group

Seventeen people were arrested in dawn raids targeting a suspected organised crime group, the Metropolitan Police said. More than 800 officers took part in searches at 24 properties across London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Searches were continuing at several locations, and police expected a presence to remain for several days.

An officer carrying out a warrant in Cockfosters, Barnet, was stabbed in the leg. His injuries were described as non-life-changing. A 56-year-old man was arrested separately on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with that incident.

The operation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA said it had disrupted seven businesses and was actively pursuing another 30. The people arrested included 15 men aged between 26 and 65 and two women aged 31 and 41.

They were held on suspicion of participating in the activities of an organised crime group, money laundering, cheating the public revenue, false accounting and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. A police spokesperson said the arrests represented a significant stage in the investigation. The people detained were suspected of leading or holding senior roles in serious and organised crime and related financial offending, the spokesperson said.

The supplied material does not report charges, court appearances or the identities of those arrested. Police searches and investigative activity were continuing at the time of the report.