Hundreds of arrests and millions of pounds in assets seized in crackdown on fraud

Operation Henhouse, a national fraud intensification campaign, saw police forces, ROCUs (regional organised crime units) and the National Crime Agency (NCA), target a variety offences, including romance fraud, banking and insurance fraud, as well as money laundering and perverting the course of justice.

High-value seizures included a BMW M5 Competition worth £96,000, and multiple luxury items including Rolex watches and jewellery. Cryptocurrency, cash and gold were also seized.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Parish from City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud and economic crime and responsible for leading the overall coordination for policing, said: “A number of teams from across the City of London Police carried out numerous arrests during this intensification period.

“The success of Operation Henhouse is indicative of the hard work and dedication of many members of our national teams, including fraud operations, Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) and Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU).

“Operation Henhouse has demonstrated our ability to coordinate a tactical and strategic response and ensure every force is aware of the requirement to intensify fraud activity.

“We are seeing more police forces participate in operations like Henhouse than ever before, which is adding value, not only at a local level but a national level too.

“We will look to build on the success of Operation Henhouse over the next 12 months to ensure momentum is not lost as we continue to provide more operational support and expertise to forces across the country.”

As part of the operation, the NCA targeted high-harm offenders, making ten arrests across four ongoing investigations.

On February 8, three people including a husband and wife were arrested in an NCA investigation linked to international PPE fraud, where one of the group was suspected of setting up a UK company to run a fraudulent scheme that would allow him to profit from PPE shortages during the coronavirus pandemic. Officers carried out searches at two properties in Loughborough and one in Lytham St Annes, where they made the arrests and found evidence of high value purchases including a Porsche, an Audi and high-end watches.

The NCA’s Complex Financial Crime Team carried out additional arrests across the month in separate investigations linked to suspected fraud enablers, money laundering and potential property investment fraud.

On February 23, officers arrested five people across the North West and London suspected of being part of a scheme where would-be investors were approached to purchase apartments off-plan with offers of high guaranteed rental income. The projects were never completed resulting in up to 100 investors losing nearly £8 million.

Two men suspected of fraudulently opening bank accounts that could be used to launder the proceeds of serious and organised crime were also arrested in North London, with one of the suspects charged and remanded until a hearing in April.

City of London officers executed 14 warrants, made 37 arrests, seized more than £1.1 million in watches, cars and jewellery and more £25,000 of counterfeit electronics and trademark assets.

In one case, a warrant was executed in London with officers providing support to the Dyfed-Powys Police investigations team to arrest a suspect who is believed to have preyed on a vulnerable, elderly victim living in sheltered accommodation in West Wales. Posing as a banking official, it is claimed the suspect collected the victim’s bank card and made multiple transactions. Coordinated work between the two teams resulted in an arrest and the safeguarding of a vulnerable victim, who undoubtedly would have been targeted again.

Significant operational activity was led by policing, including Devon and Cornwall Police and the South West ROCU, which seized more than 250 smartphones at an address in Stockport. The phones contained details of more than 2,500 bank accounts suspected of being used to launder criminal cash.

Two men were arrested for fraud and money laundering offences and the accounts were later closed. Several million pounds is understood to have been laundered through the accounts in the last 12 months alone

On February 21, South Yorkshire Police, supported by the NCA, made six arrests across Rotherham, Doncaster and Hampshire, as part of ongoing action to disrupt a major online-enabled fraud operation, which saw hundreds of victims targeted across the UK.

The fraud involved vehicles being listed for sale on eBay that did not exist. Victims were tricked into paying a deposit to secure a viewing and directed to an address where the occupant had no knowledge of the sale or vehicle. Officers also seized approx. £175,000 in cash, three high value watches and £50,000 worth of Royal Crown Derby pottery during searches. Two people were also arrested in relation to child neglect and four children were safeguarded.

West Midlands Police focused part of its action on money mules – people who allow their bank accounts to be used for cash deposits without asking any questions – and identified more than 100 suspects across the region. All were issued with cease and desist notices.

Adrian Searle, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which funds Operation Henhouse, said: “Fraud accounts for more than 40 per cent of all reported crime. Henhouse is a good example of what can be achieved when the NCA and partners in policing and wider law enforcement come together to target the fraudsters.”

Nik Adams, Commander at City of London Police, said: “Operation Henhouse was the culmination of months of hard work.

“As the national lead police force for fraud, we coordinated policing activity by working with regional forces and specialist economic crime units, which was then replicated across other partners under the leadership of the NECC and NCA.

“It’s through activity like Operation Henhouse, as well as ongoing collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and the private sector, that we are able to make significant inroads into tackling organised crime activity and protect the public from the scourge of fraud.

“We will look to build on the success of Operation Henhouse over the next 12 months, so momentum in disrupting fraudulent activity continues. ”

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “Fraud is a blight on communities up and down the country. This government is determined to crack down on those who line their pockets at the expense of our friends and neighbours.

“We will continue to step up our efforts to punish fraudsters, strip them of their profits and invest them back into operations such as Henhouse that protect the public from their crimes.”