Seventeen people have been arrested in a major UK organised-crime investigation after more than 800 police officers carried out dawn raids across five counties. The operation took place on Tuesday, 29 September, involving properties in London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

The Metropolitan Police said officers carried out searches at 24 properties as part of a months-long investigation into a suspected organised crime group. Searches were continuing at several locations.

The investigation involves the Metropolitan Police working with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA has disrupted seven firms and is pursuing action involving a further 30 firms as part of the wider operation.

Those arrested include people suspected of offences including money laundering, tax evasion, false accounting and participation in an organised crime group. Police stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that arrests are allegations under investigation.

The operation also involved an incident in Cockfosters, north London, where a police officer was stabbed in the leg while officers were executing a warrant. The officer was taken to hospital and his injuries were assessed as non-life-changing, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The coordinated action highlights the involvement of financial regulators alongside law-enforcement agencies in investigations into suspected organised crime and financial offending.

Police searches are expected to continue as investigators examine the wider network and financial activity linked to the investigation.