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| Drugs raids 'hugely successful' | Drugs raids 'hugely successful' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The man in charge of a series of raids across London and the south east said they had delivered a "huge blow" against the illegal drugs industry. | The man in charge of a series of raids across London and the south east said they had delivered a "huge blow" against the illegal drugs industry. |
| Police raided 30 addresses and arrested 22 people. In one raid a digger was used to smash through a wall. | |
| About 500 police officers were involved and 111 kilograms of cocaine, worth nearly £6m, was seized. | About 500 police officers were involved and 111 kilograms of cocaine, worth nearly £6m, was seized. |
| Detective Superintendent Steve Richardson said: "Today's operation has been hugely successful." | Detective Superintendent Steve Richardson 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 Det Supt Steve Richardson Raids target £100m network | 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 Det Supt Steve Richardson Raids target £100m network |
| Police also seized an unspecified amount of cash and a number of guns during the raids at addresses across London, Surrey, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire. | Police also seized an unspecified amount of cash and a number of guns during the raids at addresses across London, Surrey, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire. |
| One of the most significant raids was understood to have taken place at a modest building, made of breezeblock and corrugated iron, which was used by a taxi business. | One of the most significant raids was understood to have taken place at a modest building, made of breezeblock and corrugated iron, which was used by a taxi business. |
| Det Supt Richardson, who headed Operation Eaglewood, said: "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. | Det Supt Richardson, who headed Operation Eaglewood, said: "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." | "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." |
| He said the network were believed to have laundered around £100m in the last six months, most of it believed to be the proceeds of drug trafficking. | He said the network were believed to have laundered around £100m in the last six months, most of it believed to be the proceeds of drug trafficking. |
| Sledgehammers | Sledgehammers |
| At a house in Hillingdon, west London, a police driver used a digger to break through the brick and steel perimeter wall shortly after 0500 GMT as a police helicopter hovered overhead. | At a house in Hillingdon, west London, a police driver used a digger to break through the brick and steel perimeter wall shortly after 0500 GMT as a police helicopter hovered overhead. |
| Dozens of officers using sledgehammers and angle grinders burst into the house seconds later. | Dozens of officers using sledgehammers and angle grinders burst into the house seconds later. |
| The raids took place across London and the south east | The raids took place across London and the south east |
| A 40-year-old man was arrested and several vehicles, including two Mercedes, a Hummer and a four-wheel drive Porsche parked outside were seized. | A 40-year-old man was arrested and several vehicles, including two Mercedes, a Hummer and a four-wheel drive Porsche parked outside were seized. |
| At another address in West Molesey, 30 officers burst into a house and searched two cars outside. A 54-year-old man of Egyptian origin was arrested. | At another address in West Molesey, 30 officers burst into a house and searched two cars outside. A 54-year-old man of Egyptian origin was arrested. |
| Detectives said they believed a business had been used as a front for a massive criminal enterprise which involved laundering money from the proceeds of trafficking in cocaine and cannabis. | Detectives said they believed a business had been used as a front for a massive criminal enterprise which involved laundering money from the proceeds of trafficking in cocaine and cannabis. |
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