Merseyside Police seizes over £1.5m in cash and assets during month-long fraud crackdown

Merseyside Police has seized over £1.5m in suspected criminal cash and assets as part of Operation Henhouse, a month-long intensification period during February to tackle fraud.

Now in its fourth year, this annual national operation is a National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) initiative managed in partnership with the City of London Police, which leads nationally in tackling economic crime.

In Merseyside, detectives have interviewed 12 suspects as part of ongoing investigations into various fraud-related offences and charged three others including a Leeds man in connection with nationwide courier fraud offences.

“Many people fall prey to fraud daily, and often it’s our community’s most vulnerable members who are targeted by these criminals. This is precisely why tackling fraud remains our priority every day, and Operation Henhouse provides us an opportunity to send a firm message to fraudsters. This deceitful crime will not be tolerated – we will find you and work to put you before the courts.

“Our work to confiscate the proceeds of crime from offenders is not limited to those convicted of economic crime. We will target the assets of any defendant helping to fill the coffers of organised crime.

“In recent weeks, Economic Crime Team detectives have worked tirelessly alongside cybercrime colleagues with support from local officers and specialist teams to identify offenders, make arrests, seize cash and successfully impose the forfeiture of assets via court orders.”

Detective Inspector Paul Gillies of Merseyside Police’s Economic Crime Team.

In Merseyside, the figures for this year’s Operation Henhouse highlight the force’s determination to pursue offenders:

• 12 suspects interviewed
• 7 charges
• 2 search warrants executed
• 5 Account Freezing Orders amounting to £128,154
• 77 cash seizures under the Proceeds of Crime Act, amounting to £509,602
• £900,000-worth of high-value watches seized

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