13/02/2008

Police Use Digger In £100 Million Drugs Empire Raids

A series of raids have been carried out by police in and around London in a bid to smash a £100 million drug trafficking empire - one involving a mobile digger to smash into a fortified private house.

More than 500 officers from the Metropolitan Police were involved in the raids on 30 homes and business premises across London, Surrey, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire. More than 20 people have been arrested so far and it is believed that those involved in the enterprise came from a variety of countries, including Britain, Israel, Iraq, Ireland and Egypt.

A JCB digger was used to smash through the perimeter wall of a £3 million house in Hayes, west London during the raids.

It is thought that the gang has laundered more than £100 million of drug money through a number of bureaux de change, changing between £3 million and £4 million per week into euros and had used a taxi business as a front for their trade.

Detective Superintendent Steve Richardson said that police had been targeting the network for around six months and said that today's raids were the final blow to dismantle the whole operation. He described the raids as "hugely successful".

It is understood that police have seized several vehicles, almost £3 million cash, 70 kilos of cocaine and four guns during the investigation.

(KMcA)


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