COVID-19: Home and office raided by police in secret PPE fraud investigation | UK News
Police have raided homes and offices in London and the Isle of Man as part of a criminal investigation into the government’s supply of personal protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.
Officers seized financial documents and electronic equipment, but failed to make any arrests in a series of discreet and coordinated raids.
A special unit of the National Crime Agency is believed to have been secretly investigating allegations of PPE fraud for about a year.
The controversy posed a huge demand for PPE in early 2020 as the government struggled to find enough clothes and masks to protect the health and other key workers at the height of the pandemic. epidemic.
Some sourcing companies have made huge profits at the expense of taxpayers and sometimes failed to deliver on their promises, with substandard PPE prepared to decline.
Isle of Man police joined the search after discussing with the NCA there is no jurisdiction on the island, a tax haven and dependent on the British Royal Family.
IoM Police told Sky News: “The Isle of Man Constabulary, in support of the NCA’s ongoing investigation, executed search warrants at four addresses on the Isle of Man. No arrests have been made. .”
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“The NCA does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of investigations or the names of those who may or may not be investigated,” the NCA said.
It is understood that some of the investigators’ targets may be invited for interviews in the coming weeks.