Drugs raids suspects questioned

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Police are continuing to question 23 people arrested in a series of drugs raids across London and the south east.

The raids on 30 properties on Wednesday morning included one at a £3m west London house where a digger was used to smash through a wall.

About 110kg (240lb) of cocaine, worth nearly £6m, and four guns were seized.

Twenty of those were detained on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering, while three were arrested for suspected immigration offences.

Taxi business raided

The Metropolitan Police said it was the largest simultaneous set of raids it has ever undertaken, involving 520 officers and taking seven weeks to plan.

Police also seized an unspecified amount of cash 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.

Police 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.