£35m deposit box 'blow' to crime

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An operation targeting safety deposit boxes at three centres in London netted £35 million and resulted in more than 40 arrests.

Gold, images of child pornography, forged passports and various firearms were among the items recovered by the Metropolitan Police.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ponting said more than 3,500 boxes had been searched following co-ordinated raids by armed police in June last year.

Safe Deposit Centres Limited premises in Edgware, Park Lane and Hampstead were at the centre of the probe, which led to more than 1,000 "spin-off" investigations, with 11 people charged and three men jailed, police said.

Police said the boxes were searched after intelligence suggested they were linked to paedophilia, firearms, people trafficking, prostitution and money laundering.

Cannabis, cocaine and 9mm firearms were found, along with various denominations of cash, forged passports and illegal elephant tusks worth £40,000. Forged banking material and bonds were also discovered.

Detectives are currently investigating a box - not accessed for more than 10 years - that contained a hammer, chisel and pipe wrench.

Officers are also searching for John Derriviere, 47, who has connections to Tottenham, north London, after a gun, nine rounds of ammunition, heroin, scales and £20,000 in cash was found in a deposit box linked to him.

Mr Ponting said the deposited items, some of which were stored by serving prisoners, had been linked to a range of offences, including murder.