The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that a recent survey conducted with children aged 10–16 found that one in five children engage in behaviours that breach the Computer Misuse Act 1990. The Act criminalises users who access computer systems and data unauthorised. The consequences of committing these offences include being arrested and given a criminal record, having your phone or computer confiscated, risk of expulsion and limited internet use, career opportunities and international travel.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that following a NCA-led international disruption campaign, the UK, US and Australia have sanctioned Dmitry Khoroshev, the administrator and developer of LockBit. LockBit provided ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) to a global network of hackers or ‘affiliates’, supplying them with the tools and infrastructure to carry out attacks, with the top five countries hit being the US, UK, France, Germany and China. Khoroshev will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, whilst the US have offered a reward of up to $10m for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that £2.35m has been returned to Dalaid and The Schwarzschild Foundation following an NCA investigation. The NCA found that Barry Marcus MBE was holding the funds in personal accounts having failed to distribute the funds since 2022. Barry Marcus has agreed to return the funds to the charities.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that three British criminals have been sentenced in the US to 21 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to millions of dollars worth of fraud. The criminals sent unexpected letters to people informing them that a long lost relative had passed away and that they were in line to inherit their assets. They proceeded to persuade the victims to pay charges and costs in order to release the assets. The NCA’s Complex Financial Crime Team worked alongside the US Department of Justice, the US Postal Inspection Service and European partners to coordinate the international activity, locate and arrest suspects, and to secure evidence. Further cooperation with the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service allowed the NCA to secure the extraditions of these criminals.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that Ali Al-Nawab and Mehdi Amrollahbibiyouki have been convicted following an NCA investigation into a £100m money laundering network that operated between the UK and UAE. The pair are the 15th and 16th members of this network to be convicted. The NCA has reported that the money carried by the individuals was directly linked to harm and violence associated with organised crime and profits from drug dealing. The pair will be sentenced on 8 March 2024.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that Peter Grubisic, a second-hand car salesmen from Yorkshire, has agreed to forfeit a property portfolio and money worth a total of £1.14m following an investigation into his acquisition of a portfolio of ten properties. According to the NCA, Grubisic had been involved in serious criminality including money laundering, drug supply and importation, fraud and tax evasion since the 1990s.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has announced that Jogesh Bhandari, Craig Morris and Meenakashi Bhandari were convicted at Leicester Crown Court on 15 July 2026, following an investigation into a series of fraudulent personal protective equipment (PPE) deals carried out during the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2020 and 2021, Jogesh Bhandari, who owned and controlled a company involved in the scheme, fraudulently obtained millions of US dollars by falsely claiming he could supply PPE. The offending involved the use of forged financial documents and a fraudulent escrow arrangement operated by co-conspirator Frank Labruzzo, who was previously convicted in the US. According to the NCA, the proceeds of the fraud were used to repay personal debts and fund luxury purchases, including vehicles, jewellery, travel and home improvements. Meenakashi Bhandari was convicted of money laundering for handling the criminal proceeds, while Craig Morris was convicted for his role in the fraudulent transactions. The three defendants are due to be sentenced on 21 August 2026.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has secured the UK’s first convictions for breaches of Russian linked financial sanctions. The former Russian-appointed Governor of Sevastopol, Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, and his brother, Alexei Ovsiannikov, were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of multiple breaches of financial sanctions and money laundering. Despite being sanctioned since 2017, Dmitrii relocated to London and acquired a British passport in January 2023.  He attempted to open a bank account and purchase a luxury car with funds transferred by his wife, but his accounts were frozen upon discovery of his sanctioned status. Alexei facilitated these breaches by purchasing the car in 2023 and providing funds for private school fees for Dmitrii’s children in 2024. Dmitrii was convicted on eight counts of breaching Russian financial sanctions and two counts of money laundering, while Alexei was found guilty of two counts of sanctions breaches. The Crown Prosecution Service and NCA intend to pursue proceeds of crime proceedings to recover the illegally obtained cash and assets.

The National Crime Agency (NCA), after a six year investigation, has secured the forfeiture of a house in Knightsbridge worth approximately £14m and a golf club in Ascot worth over £10.5m which was owned by the wife of jailed Azerbaijani banker, Jahangir Hajiyev. The NCA believes the assets were obtained as a direct result of large-scale fraud and embezzlement, false accounting and money laundering. Hajiyev was convicted in Azerbaijan in 2016 of misappropriation, abuse of office, fraud and embezzlement, and is currently serving a 16-year jail sentence after it was found that €125m was embezzled from the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan while Hajiyev was chairman. There has been no finding as to whether his wife was aware of the means used to purchase the properties.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reached a £12m settlement with Chinese nationals Wenjun Tian and Jiangbo Hao, following civil recovery and frozen funds investigations. The couple agreed to forfeit two luxury properties in London, two student accommodation blocks in Coventry and funds held in several bank accounts. The NCA suspects these assets were acquired through large-scale financial fraud in China and subsequent money laundering in the UK and Jersey. While the couple denied any criminal activity and no finding of guilt was made by the High Court, they failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the source of their funds. The case highlights the NCA's use of both civil and criminal powers to investigate suspected proceeds of crime, including those originating from overseas criminality and involved cooperation with Jersey and Chinese authorities.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has seized a holiday home linked to the South East Antrim Ulster Defence Association (UDA) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA 2002), believed to be purchased with the proceeds of fraud and money laundering. A consensual recovery order was obtained by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force in Belfast High Court over the seaside holiday home in Ballyhalbert. It is believed that the owner, Naomi Lough's family are senior members of South East Antrim UDA. Lough has denied involvement in any unlawful conduct, nor is she alleged to be directly involved.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has shut down the ‘Russian Coms’ platform used by criminals to defraud victims around the world. The platform is thought to be responsible for 1.8 million scam calls and tens of millions of financial loss. The platform provided a means for criminals to hide their identities and appear to call from genuine financial institutions, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies. Three individuals were arrested by the NCA, two of which are believed to be behind the creation and development of the platform.