NCA reports further arrests and seizures under Operation Destabilise
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has provided an update on Operation Destabilise, confirming continued disruption of Russian-linked money laundering networks previously dismantled in 2024. Over the past year, the NCA and its partners have arrested a further 45 suspects and seized more than £5.1m in cash, alongside international confiscations totalling US$24m and over €2.6 m. The operation continues to target ‘cash-to-crypto’ laundering schemes that convert criminal proceeds from drug trafficking, firearms, and organised immigration crime into cryptocurrency, obscuring links to sanctioned Russian entities. Core networks Smart and TGR remain under international sanction, with leaders Ekaterina Zhdanova and George Rossi facing enforcement action across Europe. The NCA has also launched a bilingual public campaign warning cash couriers of the severe penalties of handling illicit funds. According to Deputy Director, Sal Melki, the operation demonstrates the direct link between local criminality, organised crime, and state-sponsored financial activity, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to dismantling networks that threaten national and international financial integrity.