London raids see police bust drugs operation

12:23pm Wednesday 13th February 2008

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More than 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and laundering millions of pounds in a massive police raid carried out across the capital on Wednesday.

More than 30 addresses were raided in the Metropolitan Police operation, with 22 people arrested in the raid aimed at "dismantling" a £100m drug trafficking operation.

An estimated 100 kilos of suspected cocaine and cash have also been seized and several firearms have been discovered.

More than 500 officers took part in the operation which took seven weeks to plan.

At a house in Hillingdon, west London, a police driver used a digger to break through the brick and steel perimeter wall in the early hours of the morning.

At another address in East Molesey, 30 officers burst into a house and searched two cars outside. A 53-year-old man of Egyptian origin was arrested.

Detective Superintendent Steven Richardson, head of the Special Intelligence Section said: "Today's operation has been hugely successful. We have targeted the key players in a serious and organised criminal network culminating in a huge blow to the illegal drugs industry in the UK.

"These criminals have been living the lives of wealthy businessmen through criminal activity and today we have put a stop to this. We believe this network has been supplying drugs around the country, earning millions of pounds every week.

"This investigation and today's operation, with the assistance of officers from the Territorial Support Group, will have succeeded in taking out a group of ruthless and determined criminals who sought to profit from the sale of illegal drugs."