AML/CFT: UK'S HMRC arrests 71 year old man in money laundering case

Operation Enigma has been under way for some months but these are the first arrests in a large-scale money laundering investigation. But it's not the first investigation to be called by that name: in the 1980s and 1990s, a similarly named investigation was conducted into more than 200 unsolved murders of women - and 72 were cause for further investigation when suspicion arose that they or some of them may have been victims of a serial killer. The investigation was wound up with the conclusion that there were some similar facts between some of the murders but not sufficient to link multiple murders to a single suspect.

The current Operation Enigma has not fallen into such deep water.

But even so, things are at a delicate stage. The precise nature of the offences being investigated are not being made public, at least not yet. 250 officers are still out, collecting evidence and possibly planning on making more arrests. Nor are the identities or precise locations of those arrested being made known: the towns, gender and age of the 15 arrested is all that has been announced.

Alan Lee, the Deputy Director for criminal investigation with HMRC says "Operation Enigma is an HMRC-led investigation targeting money laundering offences. At various stages of the investigation, we have worked closely with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and West Yorkshire & the Humber Police. Further details cannot be provided at this early stage, as our investigation is continuing."

But HMRC does not usually chase money laundering as a stand alone offence: indeed, it prefers to prosecute tax or duty evasion and so it is likely that the case involves a VAT or Import Duty fraud.

The somewhat skimpy details on those arrested as as follows:

Arrest details:

Rochdale – 7 arrests

1 x male, 71 years old
1 x female, 55 years old
1 x male, 34 years old
1 x female, 32 years old
1 x male, 38 years old
1 x female, 39 years old
1 x male, 42 years old

Manchester – 1 arrest

1 x male, 31 years old

Bradford - 4 arrests

1 x male, 27 years old
1 x male, 42 years old
1 x male, 40 years old
1 x male, 55 years old

Southport - 1 arrest

1 x male, 50 years old

Nottingham - 2 arrests

1 x male, 43 years old
1 x male, 37 years old