LONDON – Police discovered more than Ksh 700 million in cash in a London flat after a criminal gang reportedly “didn’t know what to do with it”.
Three men were arrested and sentenced on Friday May 28 following the London Metropolitan Police’s largest-ever single seizure of cash at the apartment in Fulham.
Bundles of “dirty cash” were found hidden in plastic shopping bags under a bed and strewn on the floor, the force revealed.
London Police said the thugs hid the cash at the flat because they did not know what to do with it as Covid-19 pandemic disrupted their spending of the money.
Police had launched an operation targeting gun crime and drugs supply across London and in the process discovered the gangs hideout.
During a similar operation in June last year, another man was arrested after he was found with over Ksh700 million.
The mans was spotted by police as he was struggling to carry heavy bags as he left Porteus Apartments in Fulham, and when they approached him, they found him with over Ksh5 million at the apartment. A further Ksh8 milion was found at his home.
The following month, officers arrested a third man, who was found with a bag containing nearly Ksh7 million as he left his home in Edmonton, north London.
A search of the property found another Ksh30 million.
Another man was also arrested the next day at his home in Rochester, Kent, where more than Ksh2 million was recovered.
It brought the total amount of cash seized to nearly Ksh710 million.
Following the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Jason Prins said: “This is the largest ever single cash seizure by the Met and I believe one of the largest ever nationally.
“Organised crime is motivated by money and is one of the biggest causes of violence on our streets. Tackling this violence is our main priority.
“This seizure, and the conviction of these men for laundering that money, will have a major impact on the ability of a number of crime groups to carry on with their activities.”
The seized cash will eventually fund Met and Home Office operations to tackle violent crime, the Evening Standard reported.
Edited from SKy News
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