UK Freezes $30 Million in London Properties Linked to Singapore Money-Laundering Investigation

British authorities have frozen approximately $30 million worth of luxury London properties owned by Xu Haika, a man who has been linked to Singapore's major money-laundering investigation.

The case highlights the international reach of financial crime investigations and the role that high-value real estate can play in efforts to identify, trace, and potentially recover assets suspected of being connected to unlawful activity.

According to an investigation published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) on July 24, 2026, Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) froze 16 luxury apartments in central London with a combined reported value of approximately £24.7 million, or about $30.9 million.

The London Property Portfolio

The properties are located at two adjoining developments on Fareham Street, close to Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street in central London. Property records reviewed by OCCRP and shared by Transparency International UK reportedly showed that the apartments were acquired through UK companies connected to Xu Haika.

Xu allegedly purchased the properties between July and August 2023, using two British companies of which he was reported to be the sole shareholder. The portfolio consists of 16 apartments situated in the same central London area.

The National Crime Agency reportedly registered freezing orders against the properties in 2026. Such an order restricts the ability to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the assets while authorities investigate their possible connection to criminal activity.

A freezing order, however, does not by itself establish that the owner committed a crime.

Connection to Singapore's Major Money-Laundering Investigation

Xu Haika's name emerged in connection with Singapore's massive 2023 money-laundering investigation, which involved allegations that proceeds from illegal activities, including online gambling and scams, were moved through complex international financial networks.

Singaporean authorities launched a major operation in August 2023 that resulted in the arrest of multiple individuals and the seizure or freezing of substantial assets. The wider investigation became one of the largest money-laundering cases in Singapore's history.

According to OCCRP, Xu was under investigation in Singapore in connection with the wider case. Reports indicate that he left Singapore before the major police operation that disrupted the alleged money-laundering network.

The UK property purchases reportedly took place around the same period, drawing the attention of investigators examining the movement of assets across international borders.

Sixteen Apartments Worth More Than $30 Million

The reported £24.7 million property portfolio represents a significant example of how alleged illicit wealth can move between jurisdictions.

According to the OCCRP investigation, the 16 apartments are located directly above or near the Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth Line station, one of central London's most valuable and strategically located areas.

The properties were reportedly purchased through UK corporate entities rather than directly in Xu's personal name. The use of companies to acquire high-value real estate is legal in many circumstances, but law-enforcement agencies may investigate such structures when they suspect that the ownership or source of funds requires further examination.

The NCA's freezing action prevents the assets from being sold or transferred while the investigation continues.

A Wider International Asset Trail

The Singapore investigation has revealed that the alleged money-laundering network had a substantial international dimension.

Previous OCCRP reporting found that other individuals connected to the broader Singapore investigation had also invested heavily in London real estate. One investigation identified London properties worth approximately $56 million linked to alleged members of the wider network.

Another case involved Su Binghai, who was linked by UK authorities to the Singapore money-laundering investigation. The NCA obtained an unexplained wealth order against him, and he agreed to forfeit assets that included luxury London apartments, fossilized dinosaur skeletons, and Chinese artworks.

These cases demonstrate the increasingly international nature of financial investigations, where suspected criminal proceeds may move from Asia to Europe through companies, real estate investments, bank accounts, luxury goods, and other high-value assets.

How Asset Freezing Works

British authorities have several legal tools available to investigate suspicious wealth.

One of these is the Unexplained Wealth Order, which can require an individual to explain the source of funds used to acquire property when there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the assets may have been obtained through unlawful conduct.

Another mechanism is an asset-freezing order, which can prevent property from being sold, transferred, or moved while an investigation takes place.

In a separate March 2026 case, the Crown Prosecution Service obtained an Unexplained Wealth Order and Interim Freezing Order covering 85 London properties worth more than £81 million. The CPS emphasized that such civil recovery proceedings do not mean that the subject has been criminally charged or convicted.

The same legal principle applies broadly to asset-freezing investigations: a freeze is an investigative or protective measure, not a criminal conviction.

Singapore's Billion-Dollar Investigation

Singapore's 2023 money-laundering investigation resulted in authorities tracing and restraining a huge collection of assets, including:

Luxury homes;
Bank accounts;
Cash;
High-value vehicles;
Watches and jewelry;
Cryptocurrency;
Overseas assets; and
Other investments.

The investigation was connected to allegations involving proceeds from illegal online gambling and scam operations. OCCRP reported that Singapore police and prosecutors described the wider case as involving a transnational network with significant international assets.

The Singapore Police Force has continued to expand related investigations. In June 2026, police said that additional assets had been subjected to prohibition-of-disposal orders, bringing the total value of assets seized or restricted in a related transnational money-laundering investigation to more than S$600 million.

Why London's Property Market Matters

London has long been attractive to international investors because of its stable property market, global financial connections, and concentration of high-value real estate.

However, these same characteristics can create challenges for law-enforcement agencies attempting to determine the true origin of money used to purchase expensive properties.

International investigations increasingly focus on the movement of funds through multiple jurisdictions. A person may earn, transfer, or receive money in one country, use companies registered in another jurisdiction, and ultimately invest the funds in property located in the United Kingdom.

This creates a complicated investigative chain involving:

The original source of the money;
Bank transfers or cryptocurrency transactions;
Corporate structures;
Beneficial ownership;
Cross-border financial intermediaries; and
The eventual purchase of assets such as luxury real estate.

The Xu Haika property case illustrates why authorities increasingly cooperate across borders when investigating suspected illicit financial flows.

Legal Status and Presumption of Innocence

It is important to distinguish between an investigation, an asset freeze, and a criminal conviction.

Public reporting indicates that Xu Haika has been linked to the Singapore money-laundering investigation and that UK authorities froze properties connected to him. However, the available reporting does not establish that he has been convicted of money laundering in the United Kingdom.

Therefore, the legally accurate description is that the London properties were frozen during an investigation into whether they may be connected to unlawful conduct or illicit funds.

Any final determination regarding ownership, the source of the funds, forfeiture, or criminal liability would depend on the outcome of the relevant legal proceedings.

The freezing of approximately $30 million in luxury London properties connected to Xu Haika demonstrates the growing international effort to trace and restrict assets suspected of being linked to cross-border financial crime.

The case is connected to Singapore's major money-laundering investigation, which exposed a network involving substantial wealth, international property holdings, and alleged proceeds from illegal online gambling and scam activities.

The 16 apartments in central London, reportedly worth around £24.7 million, have become part of a wider effort by British authorities to investigate whether high-value UK assets were purchased using funds derived from unlawful activity.

For now, the freezing order represents an investigative measure rather than proof of criminal guilt. The case remains an important example of how financial investigations can cross multiple jurisdictions—from Singapore to the United Kingdom—and how luxury real estate can become a central focus in efforts to trace suspected illicit wealth.

Labels Fareham Street, Investigation, Su Binghai, Xu Haika, Xu Haika’s properties