Fraud crackdown sees more than £500,000 seized from crooks across West Mercia in national crackdown
More than 30 warrants were issued and over £500,000 was seized by police in West Mercia last month as part of a national crackdown on fraud that led to over 420 arrests across the UK.
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Throughout February, West Mercia Police took part in Operation Henhouse, a national fraud 'intensification' campaign led by the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) in partnership with the City of London Police.
The month of action saw officers from West Mercia Police’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU) conduct warrants at stores, such as mini marts, which were suspected of being used as fronts for money laundering across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.
During the month, six people were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences, 18 Account Freezing Orders were given amounting to £487k, and illicit goods with a street value of £29,720 were seized by trading standards, an equivalent retail value of £74,141. Officers also seized over £8k cash during the month of action.
The ECU was supported by colleagues from Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT), Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Teams (NCFT) and the Local Policing Priority Team (LPPT) along with partner agencies including Trading Standards, Immigration and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS).
Detective Inspector Dan Fenn from the ECU said: “Fraud covers a wide range of offences, and more and more we are seeing organised crime groups (OCGs) commit complex, well-structured and well-funded crimes; often using what appear to be genuine businesses to hide money obtained through criminality, such as fraud.
“Intensified periods of action such as this build on the activity we carry out day in, day out throughout the year to send a strong message to suspected criminals that no matter where you are, we can identify you and we will work hard to bring offenders to justice.
“It’s a collective effort though and members of the public can always help; we all get calls, texts and emails we suspect are fraudulent and we just ignore them or delete them, which is of course, the right thing to. However, by also reporting these to Action Fraud, they are better placed to shut down the scams, identify those responsible and ultimately help ensure other people don’t become victims of fraud.”
Across the UK, Operation Henhouse netted 422 arrests for fraud, the freezing of £3.9 million in bank accounts and the seizures of cash and assets worth £7.5m.
In Wales, 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.
Nick Sharp, deputy director (fraud) at the National Economic Crime Centre 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 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.”
Detective Superintendent Oliver Little, from the Lead Force Operations Room at the City of London Police, added: “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 £7.5m seized and 422 arrests made during Henhouse 4, we will look to build on this success throughout the rest of 2025.”
