14/07/2016

Four Arrested For Drugs Offences And Suspicion Of Money Laundering In Co Armagh

Four people have been arrested for drugs offences and on suspicion of money laundering in Co Armagh.

The arrests were made during a major police operation on Wednesday, 13 July.

The proactive operation, which targeted the activities of what police believe is a high level, organised crime gang involved in the supply of illegal drugs and other serious criminality, began when officers forcibly stopped a Transit van on the Killylea Road at around 3pm.

Detective Inspector Tom McClure said: "Inside the van we discovered a package containing approximately £10,000 in cash. The driver of the van, a 38-year-old man, was arrested at the scene.

"During a subsequent search at a house on the Salters Grange Road police seized a Mercedes S63 AMG car, a BMW X5 Jeep and a quantity of documentation.

"A second suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested at a filling station on Cathedral Road at around 4.30pm."

During a follow up search at an address in Callan Crescent, officers located a significant sum of cash, estimated to be in the region of £160,000, concealed in the living room of the property. Four designer watches were also seized along with a taser stun gun.

A man, aged 58, and a woman, aged 56, were arrested.

Police believe the cash and jewellery were the proceeds of major drugs criminality.

All four suspects remain in custody and will be questioned on suspicion of a number of offences including possessing, concealing and converting criminal property as well as drugs supply offences.

(CD/JP)

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