The National Crime Agency (NCA) has uncovered a staggering billion-pound money laundering network operating across the UK. Shocking details reveal the gang bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to dodge sanctions and funnel cash into Russia’s military efforts.
Operation Destabilise Hits Criminals in 28 UK Towns and Cities
Under the codename Operation Destabilise, the NCA and partners are zeroing in on money launderers connected to this vast network. These criminals, scattered in at least 28 UK locations, convert filthy cash earned from drugs, firearms, and illegal immigration into clean cryptocurrency—for a steep fee.
Dirty Cash to Crypto: How Criminals Evade Law Enforcement
These ‘cash to crypto’ swaps are key to a worldwide criminal web. It links community crimes, sanctions evasion, and high-level organised crime—including laundering cash for the Russian state.
Crackdown Delivers Big: Arrests and Millions Seized
The NCA reports a major clampdown with 45 new arrests and over £5.1 million in cash seized in under a year during the operation’s latest phase. Since launch, 128 suspects have been nabbed and more than £25 million in cash and cryptocurrency confiscated in the UK alone.
Internationally, the NCA’s intel helped partners seize $24 million and over €2.6 million from the network. Authorities aren’t letting up in their battle against this criminal empire.
