557 arrests in UK’s biggest ever fraud crackdown

A record 557 people have been arrested and over £27 million in assets disrupted during the most successful year of Operation Henhouse to date. The month-long intensification period, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police, saw every UK force unite to tackle scams, resulting in the seizure of gold bars, luxury watches, and the blocking of 6.5 million fraudulent calls.

This year’s activity, which ran throughout February 2026, also resulted in:

• 172 voluntary interviews
• 249 cease and desist notices
• Account freezing orders against £9m
• Seizures of cash and assets worth £18.1m.

Since the operation started five years ago, 1,904 people have been arrested and more than £67 million has been seized or disrupted.

2026 is the most successful intensification period yet, with every single UK police force and Regional Organised Crime Unit taking part in the operation. They were joined by national agencies including the Serious Fraud Office, National Crime Agency and National Trading Standards, and supported by the Financial Conduct Authority.

In 2026, highlights include:

• Operation Mimic, where six people were arrested, approximately £10 million in assets were restrained and eight addresses were searched in the UK and Italy in one of the Serious Fraud Office’s largest deployments involving more than 115 SFO and 38 NCA officers.
• City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit arrested eight people across 19 search warrants and secured account freezing orders totalling £537,000. In a separate operation, a 26-year-old man was arrested in south London on suspicion of selling fraudulent products and services online.
• The National Trading Standards Scams Team (NTSST) identified six offshore call centres who were targeting UK consumers which resulted in 283 numbers being blocked on the UK network. During the Henhouse intensification period, 6.5 million calls were blocked, which is expected to have saved the UK economy approximately £2.1 million.
• Seizures of high value items including gold bars, designer clothing and watches, artwork and vehicles.
• An increase in cash seizures of 19%, with £1.1 million seized by Merseyside Police and £721,000 seized by Cumbria Police as suspected proceeds of crime.
• In South Yorkshire, a long-running fraud investigation that was assisted by Henhouse 1 in 2021 concluded in the build up to Henhouse 5. Detectives discovered fake adverts for vans that had been posted online.

Victims paid deposits and were sent to random residential addresses, where occupants had no connection to the sale. More than 300 victims lost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The fraud relied on over 90 money mules, many recruited through social media with offers of quick cash. These individuals allowed their bank accounts to be used, and were taken to banks to withdraw the proceeds for the offenders.

Patrick Stokes, Michael Stokes and Liam Cumbor were arrested in February 2023 during Henhouse 3. They admitted their roles in November 2025 and were each sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to defraud and related money laundering offences.

Nick Sharp, Deputy Director Fraud at the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) in the NCA, said: ‘‘Operation Henhouse has once again delivered outstanding results, and this fifth year of coordinated enforcement action across the UK has been our most successful yet.

‘‘Since its inception, Henhouse has contributed to thousands of arrests and the recovery of millions of pounds linked to fraud, with each successive year building on the last.

‘‘With the first convictions now being reported, Henhouse demonstrates the strength and reach of law enforcement, bringing together every police force, Regional Organised Crime Units, and key partner agencies to pursue fraudsters and protect the public.

‘‘The results achieved across five years of Henhouse reflect the commitment of UK law enforcement and policing to tackling one of the most prolific and harmful crimes affecting people and businesses across the country.’’

Detective Superintendent Oliver Little, from the Lead Force Operations Room at the City of London Police, said: ‘‘Operation Henhouse 5 represents a landmark moment in our collective fight against fraud.

‘‘These results are a testament to the dedication and professionalism of officers and staff up and down the country who have worked tirelessly to pursue fraudsters and protect the public.

‘‘I would also like to thank our partners at the NECC for their continued support and coordination, which has been instrumental in delivering this success.

‘‘Fraud remains one of the most pervasive crimes affecting individuals and businesses, but wide-scale operations like Henhouse demonstrate our commitment to disrupting offenders, safeguarding victims, and bringing criminals to justice.’’

Lord Hanson, Fraud Minister, said: ‘‘Fraud is a devastating crime impacting people from all walks of life. I'd like to thank the police and law enforcement for cracking down on these criminals and delivering outstanding results as part of Operation Henhouse.

‘‘With our expanded Fraud Strategy, the government is strengthening partnerships across sectors to disrupt criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice, and better protect victims.’’

If you’ve been targeted by fraudsters, contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and reportfraud.police.uk. Visit stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk for advice on how to protect yourself.