422 arrests and £7.5m seized in national crackdown on fraud

Coordinated by the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) and City of London Police, Operation Henhouse, now in its fourth year, is a month-long initiative aimed at tackling fraud.

The multi-agency operation ran across February and led to 422 arrests, 155 voluntary interviews and the seizure of cash and assets worth more than £7.5 million.

In addition, 362 cease and desist notices were issued and account freezing orders totalling £3.9 million issued.

Fraud is the most prevalent crime in the UKs. It accounts for approximately 41 per cent of all crime reports, and costs an estimated £6.8 billion each year in England and Wales alone.

Every UK police force and Regional Organised Crime Unit took part in the operation. They were joined by national agencies including the Financial Conduct Authority, National Crime Agency and National Trading Standards.

In Merseyside, more than £2.7 million in suspected criminal cash and assets was seized or forfeited, including £900,000-worth of high-value watches. The force also issued five account freezing orders totalling more than £128,000. 12 suspects were interviewed as part of ongoing investigations into various fraud-related offences, and three others were charged.

Leicestershire Police executed 18 warrants. 18 suspects were arrested and another two were interviewed voluntarily. More than £250,000 in cash was seized, as well as nine vehicles, multiple high value watches, jewellery, handbags, shoes and designer clothing.

Gloucestershire Police froze in excess of £400,000 in suspected criminal assets, made 16 arrests and conducted five searches of premises.

Kent Police financial investigators returned nearly £1 million to a victim who was tricked out of the money in an investment scam. The force made more than 20 arrests, and seized £279,000 in cash and assets.

In Hampshire, officers arrested 13 people, voluntary interviewed five others, issued 33 cease and desist notices and served an additional 18 cease and desist letters. Alongside this, four account freezing orders were issued, totalling more than £71,000. Officers also seized electronics, counterfeit goods and other items across the month.

City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud, executed 32 warrants, made 42 arrests, and conducted 19 voluntary interviews.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland seized more than £444,000, charged two people for fraud and money laundering offences, and engaged with 42 victims of fraud.

West Mercia Economic Crime Unit conducted 30 warrants across the force area, seized more than £500,000 and arrested six people for immigration offences.

The Proactive Economic Crime Team in the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, led by Bedfordshire Police, conducted substantial activity throughout the month, arresting 12 individuals, seizing multiple weapons and a Rolex watch.

The Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit – made up of officers from South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed-Powys police forces – made two arrests, issued nine cease and desist notices, and seized counterfeit money-making equipment and class A drugs. The unit identified a family in Ely, Cardiff who are believed to have sold fake, broken or cloned mobile phones on Facebook marketplace and arranged meetings with victims to intimidate them.

Police Scotland officers arrested a man and four women in connection with a multi-million-pound investment and money laundering investigation.

Norfolk Constabulary made 22 arrests and charged three individuals.

Essex Police executed six warrants, made 18 arrests, conducted 14 voluntary interviews with suspects, and froze or seized £890,000 in assets. Three individuals have already been charged.

Several National Crime Agency (NCA) investigations into high harm transnational frauds, all of which involve its Complex Financial Crime Teams, are ongoing.

The results represent a 91 per cent increase on last year’s cash seizure figures, and 28 per cent increase on last year’s cease and desist figures under Operation Henhouse.

Nick Sharp, Deputy Director Fraud at the NECC housed in the NCA, said: “This year’s Operation Henhouse results are a testament to the determination of officers and officials across the country to work together to tackle what can be a devastating and lifechanging crime.

“The NECC continues to work closely with law enforcement partners, the private sector and international counterparts to disrupt the highest harm organised crime groups who use technology to launch frauds on an industrial scale, often from overseas.”

Detective Superintendent Oliver Little, from the lead force Operations Room at the City of London Police, said: “Henhouse is one of our most significant policing operations that we coordinate each year.

“As the national lead force for fraud, we have a responsibility to deliver impactful results across the UK, and we can’t thank all the participating forces enough for their hard work and dedication throughout Henhouse 4.

“Fraud can take many vindictive and harmful forms, but through the combined efforts of forces up and down the country, including those at the City of London Police, we can make a real difference in stopping criminals in their tracks.

“With over £7.5 million seized and 422 arrests made during Henhouse 4, we will look to build on this success throughout the rest of 2025.”

A key operation that fell under the Henhouse umbrella took place in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, which was carried out by the London Regional Proactive Economic Crime Team (PECT). Two people were arrested as part of a romance fraud investigation that involved numerous victims dropping off large quantities of cash to the backroom of a souvenir shop on Oxford Street, central London.

As part of the City of London Police’s ongoing work with the UK Government to tackle fraud both domestically and overseas, Fraud Minister Lord Hanson attended a pre-briefing before the warrant.

Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) carried out ten search warrants and arrested ten people under Operation Henhouse. They executed four search warrants and arrested four people as part of an ongoing operation to tackle the counterfeit goods trade on Camden High Street. Around 6,200 counterfeit items, worth an estimated loss to the industry of at least £2.75 million, were seized. Those arrested have since been released under investigation.

The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) arrested six people and conducted 11 interviews under caution during Operation Henhouse. Officers served ten ‘cease and desist’ notices to help tackle ‘ghost brokers’, a term used to describe fraudsters who sell fake motor insurance policies. They also executed search warrants at five addresses in Manchester as part of an investigation into suspected fraudulent motor insurance claims. Two people were arrested on suspicion of fraud offences and have since been released under investigation. The warrants were executed with support from Greater Manchester Police.

Finally, the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) delivered impressive results with 22 arrests, 13 warrants executed and total seizures of more than £258,000, including both cash and non-cash assets.

Throughout the operation, Catriona Still, head of Fraud Prevention and Training at the DCPCU, delivered vital educational sessions at bank branches. This included training staff and customers on fraud prevention techniques including ATM fraud, distraction thefts and scam awareness.

City of London Police said: “Whilst Henhouse is an important period for increasing efforts, mainly due to the added boost of funding from partners, our work in the fight against fraud never stops.

“Our role, and duty, as national lead force for fraud means that we constantly need to be on the front foot and be proactive in our approach. Henhouse is a fantastic example of the results that can be achieved through collaborative working with our partners across the UK.”