More than 400 arrests and £7.5m seized in national crackdown on fraud

More than 400 arrests have been made and £7.5m has been seized as part of a national crackdown on fraud across the UK.

The National Crime Agency has released the results of the fourth iteration of the multi-agency Operation Henhouse which took place across February 2025.

The operation, led by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police, also resulted in 362 cease and desist orders, 155 voluntary interviews and account freezing orders against £3.9m.

As part of the operation, Police Scotland officers arrested a man and four women in connection with a multi-million-pound investment and money laundering investigation.

Operation Henhouse is aimed at tackling fraud which accounts for around 41% of all crime reports, and costs an estimated £6.8bn each year in England and Wales alone.

The National Crime Agency said the results show a 91% increase on last year’s cash seizure figures, and 28% increase on last year’s cease and desist figures under Operation Henhouse.

Nick Sharp, deputy director fraud at the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) in the NCA, said the results are a testament to the the determination of officers and officials.

“The National Economic Crime Centre 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,” he said.

Detective superintendent Oliver Little, from the Lead Force Operations Room at the City of London Police, said the operation is one of the most “significant” policing operations of the 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 Four,” he said.

He added: “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 £7.5m seized and 422 arrests made during Henhouse 4, we will look to build on this success throughout the rest of 2025.”

Minister for Fraud Lord Hanson said: “Fraud is a truly terrible crime which takes many forms and can affect anyone. We are determined to meet the scale of the issue head-on.

“The ongoing success of Operation Henhouse demonstrates the excellence of police and law enforcement partners, and the real-world impact of their activity to crack down on this truly pernicious crime,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with them to highlight the importance of the Stop! Think Fraud campaign, and to introduce a new expanded Fraud Strategy, as part of our Plan for Change.”