Detectives have this morning (Wednesday 2 April) arrested seven people linked to one of the UK’s longest established and most high profile organised crime gangs as part of an operation codenamed Octopod.
The group, which include a trained accountant-turned-property developer and a solicitor, are believed to have laundered large sums of money through an investment scheme. Some also have known links to violence and other serious crime, spanning many years.
Around 50 officers and specialist financial investigators from the London Regional Asset Recovery Team, the Territorial Support Group, the dog unit, local police teams and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs executed search warrants at seven residential addresses across London, Kent, Surrey and East Sussex at approximately 06.30hrs this morning. The addresses are on Fairmount Avenue, Limehouse; Sylvia Court, Shoreditch; Shirehall Lane, Hendon; Windermere Avenue, Finchley; Alexander Road, Dartford; Hill View, Dorking and Camber Sands, Rye.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) production order was also served on an accountant’s office.
Detectives are continuing to carry out thorough searches of the premises, however, numerous items such as financial documents, computers and mobile phones have already been seized and will be sent away for forensic examination.
Officers also seized approximately £100,000 cash at an address in Shoreditch.
Octopod is the biggest coordinated and most concerted operation to date against the organised crime group. Fifteen people were arrested by detectives in February, after officers painstakingly gathered evidence of conspiracy to assault, money laundering, fraud and revenue offences.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Manson of the MPS Specialist, Organised and Economic Crime Command, said: “This is continuing activity, bringing together some of the Met’s most skillful teams to target a highly harmful organised crime group which we believe also has links across Britain and Europe.
“The group as a whole is known to be involved in serious and violent crime which is harming people and damaging communities across London. We believe that those arrested today are laundering huge quantities of cash. We believe that they – with other members of the group – are responsible for a multi-million pound criminal business, the proceeds of which are laundered and either pumped into other illegal money-making schemes or spent on luxurious living.
“Operation Octopod is a demonstration of the sheer investigative force the Met can apply to organised gangs, some of whom think they can hide criminal cash from the police.”
Those arrested and in custody today are:
[P] a man believed to be in his 40s, from Finchley, for money laundering and cheating the public revenue
[Q] a woman believed to be in her 40s, from Finchley, for money laundering
[R] a man believed to be in his 60s, from Hendon, for money laundering
[S] a woman believed to be in her 30s, from Dartford, for money laundering
[T] a man believed to be in his 30s, from Limehouse, for money laundering and theft
[U] a man believed to be in his 50s, from Dorking, for money laundering
[V] a woman believed to be in her 70s, from Shoreditch, for money laundering
+ [W] a man believed to be in his 30s, from Limehouse, was arrested for an unrelated theft
Notes to editors:
In the financial year 2012/13, the MPS seized, restrained, forfeited and confiscated over £62million criminal cash and assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
On 26 February 2014, the following people were arrested in connection with this crime group. They have since been bailed to return on dates between 3 June and 1 July:
[A] 55 year old man from Islington – suspicion of money laundering;
[B] 54 year old woman from Islington – fraud;
[C] 44 year old man from Waltham Forest – suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to assault;
[D] 50 year old man from Islington – conspiracy to assault, suspicion of money laundering
[E] 55 year old man from Haringey – conspiracy to assault, suspicion of money laundering
[F] 49 year old man from Haringey – suspicion of money laundering, fraud
[G] 51 year old man from Barnet – suspicion of money laundering, fraud;
[H] 21 year old man from Waltham Forest – suspicion of money laundering, fraud
[I] 22 year old man from Waltham Forest – suspicion of money laundering, fraud
[J] 58 year old man from Camden from suspicion of money laundering, fraud
[K] 40 year old man from Kilburn – suspicion of money laundering, fraud
[L] 24 year old man from Camden – suspicion of money laundering, criminal damage
[M] 56 year old man from Herts – suspicion of money laundering
[N] 61 year old man from Kent – suspicion of money laundering
[O] 57 year old man from Herts – money laundering
The London Regional Asset Recovery Team (LRART) is a Home Office-funded multiagency team comprised of officers and financial investigators from the MPS, City of London Police, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It undertakes financial investigations aimed at seizing criminal assets from individuals and disrupting organised crime groups involved in pan-London criminal activity.
