AN OPERATION that smashed the biggest cocaine and money-laundering ring in the United Kingdon was carried out there yesterday by Scotland Yard (the Metropolitan Police Service).
According to a report from the Metropolitan Police, its officers carried out a series of co-ordinated raids throughout London, taking out an entire major international drug and money-laundering ring located in London and Colombia.
The culmination of the 18-month operation came as 12 people were arrested in London and 15 were arrested in Colombia. Seventeen searches were conducted at residential addresses in North London, Holloway Road, East London and Brixton, the Metropolitan Police said.
"We are hoping that this will have a significant affect on the availability and price of cocaine on the street."
According to the Met., it was the final phase of the operation, which was aimed at the top tier of the criminal network, to finally disable them and stop the importing of cocaine into the UK and exporting the money back to Colombia. Although many were arrested yesterday, the Metropolitan Police said that since the operation started, there had been 20 arrests as officers slowly closed in on the network, with many of the frontline men selling the drugs being taken off the streets.
SPECIALIST CRIME DIRECTORATE
The operation was led by the Met's Special Projects team, part of the Specialist Crime Directorate. This highly successful unit was created to deal with serious and organised crime employing highly-trained officers. The unit worked in close collaboration with Customs and Excise, the National Crime Squad and the Colombian authorities helped the successful conclusion of the operation.
Following yesterday's morning's raids, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said: "Today's international operation is a huge success for the Metropolitan Police Service and a serious blow to organised crime. I am committed to making London one of the safest major cities in the world. We will continue to work closely with our international counterparts to rid London's streets of this evil trade."
Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, director of Specialist Crime said: "Today's operation is the culmination of more than two years' work by the Specialist Crime projects team and once again illustrates the Metropolitan Police Service's determination to tackle the highest level of organised criminality in London and make sure the criminals who are engaged in this type of criminality are brought to justice.
The International Narcotics Strategy Control Report 2003 estimates that 25 to 40 tons of cocaine is smuggled into the UK each year, chiefly from Colombia.
Supplies of both cocaine and crack cocaine reach the UK market by a variety of ways, at least one with a Jamaican connection.
Around 75% of cocaine is thought to be carried across the Channel from consignments shipped from Colombia to mainland Europe and then brought to the UK concealed in trucks or private cars, or by human couriers or 'mules'. Traffickers based in the UK are the organisers.
