Safety Deposit Raids by Police......

[1]

TVR Moneypit said:

1 said:

Tony*T3 said:

I think they were tipped off in a big way.


Whats the point in having 8 million in cash anyhow? If its bent money its virtually unspendable in Britain now with all the anti money laundering laws.....

It is really that difficult to get around the money laundering laws, providing you have a little patience. You are also assuming that they were intending to spend it in this county.

Edited by 1 on Thursday 12th June 23:32

"Money laundering regs" There a joke. They might as well not have bothered.

That is what I was trying to say, edited to add the "nt" onto the "is".

[Vee]

g4ry13 said:

They've still closed off the road in Edgware and they have the armed police standing around.

No one there at 5pm yesterday when I passed. There is a new brick wall blocking up half the entrance.
Most drug money I expect. Going to be a PITA for some people.

[thehawk]

I'm sure it's not just the criminals who are annoyed, must be a fair few people who stash cash in those places to keep it from the prying hands of people like HMRC, Insolvency trustees etc.

[cardigankid]

This is just the start. 'Money laundering regulations' aren't about money laundering, they are about the government knowing exactly where all your assets are. And if they think that they are going to find billions by raiding safe deposit boxes you can expect a lot more warrants to be issued. Nice easy pickings. That's what the police like.

[thehawk]

cardigankid said:

This is just the start. 'Money laundering regulations' aren't about money laundering, they are about the government knowing exactly where all your assets are. And if they think that they are going to find billions by raiding safe deposit boxes you can expect a lot more warrants to be issued. Nice easy pickings. That's what the police like.

Exactly, in this governments opinion all cash should be in banks etc - there is no need for safety deposit boxes and they assume everyone is guilty.

[Hyperion]

I don't know anything about safe deposit boxes, but if I had a wad of cash to hide, I'd be hiding it in small quantities in the woods, complete with a record of GPS locations. I wouldn't hide it in the house due to the risk of being busted of course.
You'd have to be pretty dumb to 'hide' all of it somewhere the police could easily have access?

[SpydieNut]

grumbledoak said:

TVR Moneypit said:

And how would you feel if it was security box that was rumaged through?

Could you prove that that watch that your Grandfather gave you on his death bed was purchased by you through legitimate means?

Nope. Of course you cant. Say goodbye to that then.

And those photos of you and your wife in uncompromising positions? Say goodbye to those if your wife is fit.

Perhaps you had a couple of grand in there, just in case of emergancys. Something that you had saved up at £50 a month. Could you prove how you can to save that up? Nope. Thought not. Say goodbye to that as well.

Dont be so nieve.

'Wot ^^^ he said'. Spelling aside, for those of that persuasion.

They may have caught some bad guys, but the idea that "every box is a crime scene" says everything.

Run.

+ 1

[Jasandjules]

Further and further we walk into a Police state.

When will the public stand up and be counted?

[Vee]

Has anyone seen the Edgware building ?
From the outside it looks like something out of the 80s that hasn't had a coat of paint in years.
If this is anything to go by, if I had some valuables I wouldn't I'd think twice abotu leaving them there.

[BJWoods]

isn't everyone getting a bit overexited about 'police state' etc..

There are many such deposit companies are they raided - NO.

This one was used as a front, the companie involved in drugs, so every box is suspect.

GOOD TARGETED - (for a change) police work, which will seriously impact some major crims.

B

[rich1231]

cardigankid said:

This is just the start. 'Money laundering regulations' aren't about money laundering, they are about the government knowing exactly where all your assets are. And if they think that they are going to find billions by raiding safe deposit boxes you can expect a lot more warrants to be issued. Nice easy pickings. That's what the police like.

There is no way on earth with the right skills any criminal could not hide their money even within the banking systems here or internationally. To have it seized or to have its wherabouts known by the authorities or flagged as suspicious just shows how ignorant and stupid they are.

The banks are awful and clueless as well, and the authorities only see the obvious.

[Oakey]

BJWoods said:

isn't everyone getting a bit overexited about 'police state' etc..

There are many such deposit companies are they raided - NO.

This one was used as a front, the companie involved in drugs, so every box is suspect.

GOOD TARGETED - (for a change) police work, which will seriously impact some major crims.

B

I somehow doubt they were advertising that they were dodgy. There will probably be just as many genuine, innocent users who simply wanted a safety deposit box who may now lose out.

[Tampon]

Fittster said:

Tampon said:

They had been staking it out for 2 years and got a warrent. there was some very fishy stuff going on, and they were right, it is not like they are randomly smashing into depots.

No, they are systematically opening all the boxes. Only the guilty have anything to be afraid of

I am not sure what you mean by No, I agree they are opening all the boxes, and I agree that that it iwill be people who have seriously dodgy stuff there that won't claim it ( so I think we agree just don't understand where the No come ito play ).

As for the guy who said what if your grandfather mattress money is in there, they aren't looking for that, they are finding millions and millions of £££££'s of drugs, diamonds, art etc serious amount, ridiculous amounts, they aren't looking for £100,000 cash of some one nan, if the guy rocked up and said the situation they wouldn't just keep it. There much bigger fish to fry here.

The fact you rocked up to claim it almost rules you out as someone they are looking for, it the ones that can afford to let it go are the one they want.

[Hedders]

Spokey said:

Habeus corpus is gone now, you have to justify having cash over £1000 on you.

How do you do that?

I happen to like cash, and often use it buy things and pay bills. £1000 cash isn't even enough to pay my council tax bill, yet it is enough to make me a money laundering suspect.

Great.

[Tampon]

grumbledoak said:

TVR Moneypit said:

And how would you feel if it was security box that was rumaged through?

Could you prove that that watch that your Grandfather gave you on his death bed was purchased by you through legitimate means?

Nope. Of course you cant. Say goodbye to that then.

And those photos of you and your wife in uncompromising positions? Say goodbye to those if your wife is fit.

Perhaps you had a couple of grand in there, just in case of emergancys. Something that you had saved up at £50 a month. Could you prove how you can to save that up? Nope. Thought not. Say goodbye to that as well.

Dont be so nieve.

'Wot ^^^ he said'. Spelling aside, for those of that persuasion.

They may have caught some bad guys, but the idea that "every box is a crime scene" says everything.

Run.

Every box is a crime scene, they thought that dodgy people were doing dodgy stuff there, got a warrant to search, they were right, found lots of stuff. They don't know whihc boxes are "dodgy " so they open them all, the ones with people "grandfathers watches" toodle along and say

"I am not a drug dealer, I live down the road can I have my watch"
"yes sir, sorry about that, we have found lots of dodgy stuff here, you are connected to this place, this place is seriously dodgy, could I have your details, just in case"

I think that is reasonable, they weren't wrong, they just need to find out which of the money is involved in serious international crime.

If you were in a darkened room where someone got shot, I think it is reasonable for the police to investigate if you were involved seeing as they can't just take your word for it as bad people lie.

TVR Moneypit, I think you have taken it to an extreme, there is a big difference between saying "listen that watch and that 8 grand are mine, I keep them just incase, i can't prove how I got them, but heres a reason explaination......", as opposed trying to explain why you have copious amounts of cocaine, hand guns, gold dust, 18 Century art and enough cash in plastic shopping bags and suitcase to build a house, legally.

Edited by Tampon on Friday 13th June 12:09

[Herman Toothrot]

gingerpaul said:

Fittster said:

Only the guilty have anything to be afraid of

Ahh, that old chestnut. If only that was true.

It this particular case I'd imagine it to be true, Guns & drugs = immediately criminal, impossible not to be, hand guns are not legal in the UK, neither are any street drugs.

So you then have large amounts of cash, if its legally held money why is it sitting not earning any interest in a box? Anyone who earnt it in any legal fashion would not miss out on earning more. There is no reason I can think of why anyone would effectively hide money and loose the interest, the guy with the 8m cash in a box would be loosing at about 1/2 a million a year for starters.

Stored lumps of Gold & jewels are about all of you can reasonably explain keeping in a security box.

[Horse_Apple]

mickken said:

For years criminals have been using fake names to open a safety deposit boxes in deposit depots.

I saw on the news today that the Police have raided three such places(one in Hampstead....not sure about the other two) and opened up every box and logged and confiscated the contents of 10,000 seperate safety boxes. Some were reported to be empty. Every box is being treated as an individual crime scene.

They recovered £53,000,000 in cash, numerous guns, kilos of drugs and assorted jewelery. £53m in cash!!

£8m was in one box alone, someone, somewhere is not having a good week.

I'm sure there will be some people who will be able to go to the Police and account where there money/goods came from, but what about the rest??

How do you account for £8m in a box!!

Some will be drug dealers, some money launderers, tax avoidance and various other crimes. I'm pretty sure most of the cash that belongs to people will not be accounted for, and therefore not claimed!!

I reckon that tomorrow morning various Security Box Depots around the UK will be inundated with visitors withdrawing various goods/cash etc, etc.....and depositing in the Bank of Mattress.

The armoured police truck was outside the Hampstead (Finchley Road) last Friday. Quite a cool toy.

[Hedders]

Herman Toothrot said:

There is no reason I can think of why anyone would effectively hide money and loose the interest

Personal choice?

Had a bad experience with banks.

Hiding cash from money grabbing ex wife.

The cash was just there for a week and not worth investing.

There's a few for you

[Ribol]

Tampon said:

Every box is a crime scene, they thought that dodgy people were doing dodgy stuff there, got a warrant to search, they were right, found lots of stuff. They don't know whihc boxes are "dodgy " so they open them all, the ones with people "grandfathers watches" toodle along and say

"I am not a drug dealer, I live down the road can I have my watch"
"yes sir, sorry about that, we have found lots of dodgy stuff here, you are connected to this place, this place is seriously dodgy, could I have your details, just in case"

I think that is reasonable, they weren't wrong, they just need to find out which of the money is involved in serious international crime.

Wrong – every box is a privately rented safety deposit box to store valuables in, not a criminal investigation which is how they are treating each box. Out of 7000 they have smashed open the majority did not need to be and this could easily have been done another way. They could have taken over the three branches and called the people to come and collect their property. The majority would have taken their stuff leaving the rest for the Police to focus on.
I think the way they have gone about this almost smacks of some sort of Police PR exercise, showing us they do something for their wages. They have also seen it an a golden opportunity to have a nose about and see what else they can turn up.

If you lived in a town with 7000 homes and word got around about some people making a living from crime. Would you be happy to have your home turned over by the Police, stuff removed and then told to explain where you got it from? That is exactly what is going on here and I would question how legal the way they have gone about this actually is.

Whilst I am all in favour of the Police dealing with crime, I for one do not wish to go through life being treated as a criminal on the off chance I might be one.

[julian64]

I say good on them. Much better they do this than jail another smackhead stealing to fund his habit at my expense. This is a terrible thread full of rubbish.

Poor old police in this country can't win.

I don't believe half the statements on this thread. I don't believe a GP gets stopped and £130 confiscated because it seemed like a lot of money.

I don't believe the police waste their time on this stuff. Neither do I think the vast majority of police want a police state.

I think hiding a large sum of money in a divorce isn't a smiley handshake thing, its bloody dishonest, and the guy who does it ought to have a police record for dishonesty. It certainly isn't a legitimate reason I would want to protect privacy for.

I think targetting the people who profit in the misery of smackheads deserve this and a lot more.

I think people who complain about the rising violence, lawlessness and then whinge on when the police do something positive about it because it infringes some mythical civil liberty they think they have are the worst sort of nimbys.

for the police.