At least eight people have been arrested in the UK as part of a probe into a 'highly international network' of men who drug and rape women and use online forums to share footage of the abuse, the National Crime Agency said
09:00, 03 Jul 2026Updated 20:30, 03 Jul 2026
At least eight people have been arrested in the UK as part of a probe into a "highly international network" of men who drug and rape women and use online forums to share footage of the abuse, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.
The arrests form part of 14 separate investigations carried out by the NCA and police forces across the UK, in relation to which eight victims are currently receiving support.
Since October 2025, the agency says it has identified more than 270 people linked to one particular online forum and its successors. Intelligence gathered by the NCA on online abuse networks has been shared with law enforcement partners in the UK and agencies overseas.
Drug-facilitated sexual assault involves deliberately removing a person’s capacity to consent through the use of alcohol or drugs in order to commit sexual offences against them. The rape or sexual assault is often carried out by someone the victim knows and trusts, with images or videos of the abuse then shared online, the NCA said.
Investigators say the offending is overwhelmingly committed by men against women and often takes place within long-term intimate relationships, with some abuse spanning decades. Victims can be of "any age, social background or ability" and "often have no idea that anything has happened to them", the agency said.
One of the most high-profile examples is the case of Gisele Pelicot in France. Her former husband was jailed for 20 years after repeatedly drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her in their home over almost a decade.
"The abuse we’re discussing is some of the most horrifying I have seen in my career," said Siobhan Blake, national Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lead for rape and serious sexual offences. "Victims are being subject to horrendous sexual offending in their own homes in an ultimate breach of trust."
Drug-facilitated sexual assault is 'increasingly organised'
NCA deputy director Nigel Leary said investigators have uncovered a "truly international network", with members identified in dozens of countries across every continent.
He said drug-facilitated sexual assault is "no longer isolated behaviour, but increasingly organised, conducted via coordinated networks and enabled by digital platforms".
Mr Leary warned: "We and our law enforcement partners are clear in our message to anyone involved in this horrendous offending: if you drug, rape, facilitate rape, abuse, record abuse or coordinate these crimes online, we will identify you and your networks and bring you to justice."
National crackdown focuses on intelligence sharing
On Thursday, the NCA announced a coordinated national law enforcement response aimed at improving intelligence sharing to tackle the issue.
The NCA, the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP), police forces and the CPS are working alongside health services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres and specialist organisations to identify offenders, safeguard victims and disrupt networks.
Deputy assistant commissioner Helen Millichap, director of the NCVPP, said victims may not realise what has happened to them until police contact them or evidence emerges, which can be "extremely confusing" and "difficult to process".
"If something doesn’t feel right, you do not need proof or a clear memory to seek help. Police and support services will make sure you are listened to, taken seriously and given the care you need," she said.
International operation to target online abuse networks
The NCA has led international collaboration with partners across Europe through Project Medusa, a Europol-supported initiative launched in April.
Last week, investigators from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, the US and Europol met at the NCA’s headquarters in London to share information on suspected offenders, victims and online groups.
This led to more than 150 offenders and victims being identified, over 270 new international investigations being launched and four new online communities being uncovered.
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"But the reality is that we do not yet know the true scale of this type of offending as it’s almost certainly underreported," the NCA said.
