Sports car, £40,000 cash and hundreds of cannabis plants seized as part of organised crime investigation
Police have seized a £100,000 sports car, around £40,000 cash and hundreds of cannabis plants as part of an investigation into a suspected organised crime group.
In total 13 men were arrested on Wednesday at addresses in Ashford, Canterbury, Maidstone and Swale, as well as in Bristol, Essex, Hertfordshire and London.
The ages of the men ranged from 18 to 49.
Kent Police confirmed a cannabis factory containing approximately 500 plants was discovered at an address in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, while two smaller grows containing a total of around 450 plants were located in Ashford.
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A £100,000 sports car, around £40,000 cash and hundreds of cannabis plants have been seized as part of an investigation into a suspected organised crime group operating across the South East. https://t.co/52F3AgqtKz pic.twitter.com/0533gLz3J5
— Kent Police (UK) (@kent_police) August 12, 2020
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Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Kris Eberlein said: “Disrupting organised criminality is a priority for Kent Police and we run a variety of operations to target those who bring associated criminality to Kent, including drugs but also other linked offences such as violent crime.
“The money earned through the sale of cannabis on an industrial scale is often linked to more serious criminality such as human trafficking and modern slavery, and the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
“Kent Police is committed to reducing the harm caused by all drugs and are sending out a very clear message to criminals that the sale of such illegal substances will not be tolerated.”
The investigation is being led by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, who were assisted on the day by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and Hertfordshire Constabulary.
