£1 Billion Money Laundering Gang Busted by NCA
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has smashed a jaw-dropping billion-pound money laundering ring operating across the UK. The gang went so far as to buy a bank in Kyrgyzstan to dodge sanctions and funnel cash into Russia’s military machine.
Operation Destabilise Cracks Down on Crime in 28 UK Towns
Under the codename Operation Destabilise, the NCA and partners are hunting money launderers linked to this sprawling network. The criminals, spread across at least 28 UK towns and cities, turn dirty cash from drugs, guns, and illegal immigration into squeaky-clean cryptocurrency—for a spicy fee.
From Dirty Cash to Crypto: The Criminals’ Secret Weapon
These “cash to crypto” swaps fuel a global criminal web. It ties together street crime, sanctions-busting, and hard-core organised crime — laundering money even for the Russian state.
Big Wins: Dozens Arrested, Millions in Cash and Crypto Seized
The NCA reveals a serious crackdown with 45 arrests and over £5.1 million seized in cash during the latest phase of the operation. Since launch, 128 suspects have been caught and over £25 million in cash and cryptocurrency has been confiscated in the UK alone.
Internationally, the NCA’s intel helped partners seize a whopping $24 million and more than €2.6 million from the network. The fight against this criminal empire is far from over.
