A man from Hadley Wood has been charged with stabbing a police officer during a major coordinated operation targeting suspected organised crime across London and England.
Charles Charalambous, 56, of Claremont Road, has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) to resist arrest. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning.
The charge comes after a police officer was stabbed in the leg while executing a warrant in Hadley Wood on Tuesday (September 29) as part of a wider operation targeting a suspected organised crime group.
The officer was taken to hospital following the incident and is expected to make a full recovery. It was initially reported that the stabbing had taken place in Cockfosters.
More than 800 officers were involved in the major operation, during which properties across Essex, London, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk were searched. A total of 18 people were arrested as part of the operation.
Two other men arrested during the wider operation have also been charged overnight with possession of offensive weapons. All three men remain under investigation as part of the wider inquiry and have been bailed in relation to those offences.
The remaining suspects have also been bailed while the investigation continues. Police say the offences under investigation are complex and require extensive investigative work, including the detailed examination of evidence both before and after the arrest stage.
The operation involved raids at 24 properties and was carried out as part of an investigation into an alleged organised crime group and related financial offending.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “These arrests mark a significant point in this investigation. Those arrested are suspected of leading or being involved at a senior level in serious and organised crime and related financial offending.
“We know the impact of serious and organised crime stretches well beyond those at senior levels of the organisations involved. Lines can often be drawn from the top, all the way to those involved in the criminality that blights communities, including serious violence and exploitation.
“Investigating these groups is among the most complex work the Met undertakes. It requires a significant investment of time and money and the expertise not just of specialist police officers but of colleagues from partner organisations like HMRC and the FCA.
“We hope these arrests show how determined we are to ensure organised crime groups cannot operate freely in London. We will work tirelessly to identify them, to gather evidence and to take action.”
As part of the wider operation, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which worked alongside the Met and HMRC in leading the investigation, said it had disrupted seven firms and was continuing to pursue a further 30.
Police have warned local communities that residents should expect to see an increased police presence in some areas for several days as investigative work continues.
The investigation remains ongoing.
