Stolen haulage containers, stolen vehicles, and £50,000 in cash was recovered by detectives during a day-long raid of a yard in Purfleet.

Detectives discovered one of the containers had been stolen at 3:30am on May 19 and had been at the yard for a matter of hours prior to the police activity on the same day.

That container, including its contents, was returned to its rightful owner that same day.

In addition to approximately £15,000 being seized during the various raids at the haulage yard and two residential address in Havering, a search by police dogs uncovered £50,000 in cash inside a vehicle at the Purfleet yard which has been seized as proceeds of crime.

Echo: Search - officers at the site Search - officers at the site

Three stolen off road vehicles, were found inside one of the containers.

The multi-agency operation was led by the Met Police’s East Area Drug Focus Desk and was supported by policing colleagues from British Transport Police and Essex Police.

The premises in Purfleet was believed to be used by an organised crime network.

A 48-year-old man was arrested at the Purfleet yard on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm.

He has since been released under investigation.

Echo: Checks - some of the officers searching containers Checks - some of the officers searching containers A 46-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were arrested at a residential address in Havering on suspicion of possession of a firearm and possession of a Class B drug; a quantity of cash was seized, suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Both are released on bail to return on a date in late June.

A 32-year-old man was arrested at a residential address in Havering on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and has since been released under investigation.

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Detective Sergeant Owen Morgan, of the East Area Command Drugs Focus Desk, said: “While I am pleased with the outcome of the operation, the evidence, intelligence and property seized is a mere snapshot of criminality relating to one location on one day.

“Myself and my team are committed to identifying, disrupting and apprehending criminal networks and we will continue do so as long as their trade and exploitation continue to blight out communities.”