UK bust: 11 held over £650m drug smuggling

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Press Association
Thursday November 27, 2003 11:48 AM


Eleven people allegedly responsible for smuggling drugs valued at more than £650 million into the UK over the past four years have been arrested.The seven men and four women, all Colombian nationals, were thought to be "the main players" in what police claim is the biggest cocaine cartel to operate in the UK.They were held after officers from the National Crime Squad carried out raids at 13 addresses in London, Essex and Bedfordshire.

As part of the operation, officers had previously seized cocaine with a street value of £55 million, cannabis worth £10 million and more than £1 million in cash.Detective Chief Inspector Martin Molloy, leading the NCS investigation, said today's arrests were a continuation of the operation in September targeted at the Colombian-based cartel.That Metropolitan Police investigation, codenamed Anuric, saw 12 people arrested and charged with money laundering offences after a number of raids in London.

Today's NCS operation is called Adage and has led to the arrests of seven men and four women. The addresses raided included three business premises - a hairdressing salon, a money exchange and a clothing store.It was targeted at the people who allegedly recruited the money launderers as part of their drug trafficking enterprise.
More than 15 people were also held in Colombia in synchronised raids by Colombian police on September 24.Mr Molloy said the NCS had been gathering intelligence on the cartel over the past four years and intended to "rip the heart out" of the organisation.

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