Nineteen people charged after 'largest-ever' drugs raids
Friday, 15 Feb 2008 09:47
Nineteen people charged following drugs raids in London on Wednesday
Nineteen people have been charged with drugs and money laundering offences following mass raids in London and the south-east earlier this week.
The suspects, aged between 24 and 63, will appear at the City of Westminster magistrates court later today.
Among them are two women and a host of different nationalities, including people born in Egypt, Iraq, Tanzania and Hong Kong.
Three other people arrested in Wednesday's raids are being investigated over immigration offences, while an 18-year-old man has been bailed to return at a later date.
According to the Metropolitan police, the raids upon properties in the capital and the surrounding regions were the largest simultaneous drugs raids ever witnessed in Britain.
An estimated 100kg of suspected cocaine and cash were seized as well as several firearms.
For one address in Hillingdon, officers used a JCB to gain entry to a residential property.
About 520 officers in total were used in the dawn raids, with the whole operation taking seven weeks to plan.