Update — 29 September 2026
Updated 29 September 2026
A Metropolitan Police officer was stabbed in the leg during a warrant at an address in Cockfosters, Barnet, as part of this morning’s dawn raids. The officer was treated at the scene by colleagues and paramedics and taken to hospital, where injuries were assessed as non-life changing. The Met said it would ensure the officer gets all the support he needs.
A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with the stabbing, alongside other suspected offences. More than 800 officers took part in the operation across London and four counties, and 17 people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a suspected organised crime group and related financial offending. All 17 remain suspects; none has been charged. Searches are continuing at several properties.
Seventeen people have been arrested following a massive series of dawn raids across London and four neighbouring counties, in one of the biggest operations of its kind mounted by the Metropolitan Police this year.
More than 800 officers swept through 24 properties in the early hours of Tuesday morning — 29 September — in a coordinated strike against a suspected organised crime group that detectives have been investigating for months.
Warrants were executed at addresses in London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, with searches continuing at several properties this morning. Police say residents in some areas can expect to see an ongoing police presence for several days.
Officer stabbed during Cockfosters warrant
An officer was stabbed in the leg while officers carried out a warrant at an address in Cockfosters, Barnet, during the operation.
He was treated at the scene by colleagues and paramedics before being taken to hospital, where his injuries were assessed as non-life changing. A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with the attack, alongside other offences.
The Met said it would ensure the officer gets all the support he needs.
Key facts: the operation at a glance
- 17 people arrested — 15 men and 2 women, aged between 26 and 65
- 24 properties raided in dawn operations early on Tuesday 29 September
- More than 800 officers took part, supported by HMRC and the FCA
- Areas covered: London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk
- FCA has disrupted seven firms and is actively pursuing a further 30
Financial crime at the centre of the investigation
The investigation was led by specialist Met detectives working alongside His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) — a sign that the financial trail, as much as the criminal activity itself, is central to the case.
Those arrested are suspected of offences including participating in the activities of an organised crime group, money laundering, conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, cheating the public revenue — tax evasion — false accounting, failure to disclose suspicions of money laundering, and breaching money-laundering regulations.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “These arrests mark a significant point in this investigation. Those arrested are suspected of leading or being involved at a senior level in serious and organised crime and related financial offending.”
“We know the impact of serious and organised crime stretches well beyond those at senior levels of the organisations involved. Lines can often be drawn from the top, all the way to those involved in the criminality that blights communities, including serious violence and exploitation.”
What this means for Londoners
For most Londoners, today’s operation will change little day to day — but its reach matters. Suspected offences span tax evasion and money laundering, crimes whose proceeds wash through ordinary streets, businesses and communities. The FCA’s decision to disrupt seven firms and pursue 30 more suggests the investigation has touched the regulated financial sector, where London’s status as a global financial centre makes it a natural target for dirty money.
The operation also shows how seriously authorities now treat the overlap between street-level criminality and financial offending. The Met described investigating these groups as “among the most complex work the Met undertakes”, requiring significant investment of time, money and expertise — not just from specialist officers, but from partner organisations.
Residents near the raided addresses should expect to see officers and search teams around over the coming days while searches continue.
“We hope these arrests show how determined we are to ensure organised crime groups cannot operate freely in London. We will work tirelessly to identify them, to gather evidence and to take action.”
— Metropolitan Police spokesperson
“Tackling financial crime requires the type of partnership shown by today’s joint action and the many months of close cooperation leading to it. We’ll continue to work with the police and others to identify and disrupt organised crime groups who abuse our financial system to launder dirty money.”
— Financial Conduct Authority spokesperson
An HMRC spokesperson said: “Today’s action highlights the importance of close collaboration between HMRC and other law enforcement partners in tackling serious and organised crime, including suspected money laundering and other criminal activity.”
Proceedings now active
Police have reminded the media that proceedings are now active in this case, and have urged particular caution over any publication that could risk prejudicing future proceedings. All 17 people arrested remain suspected of the offences — none have been charged at this stage, and no names have been released.
Published at 9:15am
