$6bn seized in global drugs raids

Colombia is one of the world's largest producers of cocaine

More than $6bn worth of suspect US bonds, hoards of drugs and £7m of assets have been seized by British police investigating a Colombian drugs and money cartel.

The seizures came after the National Crime Squad (NCS) swooped on addresses in north London and Essex during two raids in July and August this year.

But news of the action only emerged on Thursday after the Colombian authorities, who worked with the British police in the operation, announced details of the raid.

The Attorney General's office in the Colombian capital Bogota said the stocks and bonds, which had a face value of $6bn, were seized in London, together with several million dollars in cash and drugs.

Drugs haul

Nine men charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to supply ecstasy appeared in court in the UK over the summer.

They are due to appear in Winchester Crown Court in November.

Four more people were also arrested in Britain, although they have been released on police bail, and two more were arrested in Colombia.

This is a very important victory, because it represents the most overwhelming blow against drug trafficking and money laundering Guillermo Anibal Ortega, Colombian investigator

A spokeswoman from the NCS said officers, assisted by Customs and Excise, stumbled across the US bonds during a drugs raid on a house in July.

But she said there was still an investigation to find out if the bonds were genuine.

She said: "We went in there looking for drugs, searching for drugs - anything other than that is a bit of a bonus."

The assets, valued at £7m, included cars, houses and furniture.

During the July and August raids, officers also unearthed 55,000 ecstasy tablets and 15kg of amphetamine powder.

News of the raids was apparently not released to help the Colombian authorities with their investigations.

A Colombian official said information provided to Britain by the country's Technical Investigation Department allowed the seizures.

Guillermo Anibal Ortega, director of the Colombia's attorney general's office investigative unit, added: "This is a very important victory, because it represents the most overwhelming blow against drug trafficking and money laundering."

The ring allegedly sent drugs from Colombia to Europe via countries such as Ecuador and Mexico.