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More than £1.6 million found hidden in bed in Sutton Coldfield seized by National Crime Agency

Officers found cash stashed away.

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Cash was found hidden in a bed in Sutton Coldfield. Photo: National Crime Agency

More than £1.6 million discovered hidden in a bed in Sutton Coldfield has been recovered after an application was made by police chiefs.

National Crime Agency applied for a forfeiture order after a flat in Kenelm Road, Sutton Coldfield, was allegedly used by an organised crime group.

The raid was carried out as part of Operation Venetic – the UK's response to the take-down of encrypted comms platform EncroChat.

Officers found a total of £1,656,040 in cash inside a double divan bed.

On the left-side of the bed, the cash had been counted and on the right side of the bed were bags of uncounted cash.

Cash was found hidden in a bed in Sutton Coldfield. Photo: National Crime Agency

The bags were written on with dates and names of EncroChat handles – users’ nicknames, the National Crime Agency confirmed.

Professional electronic cash-counting machines, a ledger showing cash collection records, digital scales, a heat-sealing machine and plastic pouches – likely to have been used sealing one kilogramme blocks of drugs.

Two men aged 45 have been arrested as part of the investigation and released under investigation.

And a man aged 37 is wanted as part of the inquiry.

Officers found two kilogrammes of cocaine inside his car and £56,000 in his wardrobe when they searched his home.

Cash was found hidden in a bed in Sutton Coldfield. Photo: National Crime Agency

NCA operations manager Rick MacKenzie said: "The recovery of this money is excellent news for the public purse and crucially deprives an organised crime group of a lot of cash.

"That money can no longer be used to reinvest in more offending. Our investigation continues."

The uncontested forfeiture order was granted on Friday at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

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