Police have searched four addresses in the Isle of Man with law-enforcers from the UK.

The investigation is believed to centre on concerns over the supply of government personal protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.

Officers seized financial documents and electronic devices during the raids.

Details of the properties that have been raided have not been released but homes and offices in London have also undergone searches.

It was reported to be a special unit of the National Crime Agency, a national law enforcement agency in the UK, has been secretly investigating PPE fraud allegations for about a year.

This follows many supply companies making profits at the expense of the taxpayer in response to the spike in demand for PPE in 2020 at the start of the pandemic when the UK Government struggled to find enough masks to protect health workers.

Some companies profited but failed to deliver what they had promised.

Manx police were involved in the searches following discussions with the NCA which has no jurisdiction here.

A police spokesperson said: ‘The Isle of Man Constabulary, in support of an ongoing NCA investigation, executed search warrants at four addresses in the Isle of Man. No arrests were made.’

The NCA told Sky News: ‘The NCA does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of investigations or the names of those who may or may not be under investigation.’

It’s understood that several targets of the investigators could be invited in for interview in coming weeks.