The arrest follows extra work being carried out to disrupt organised crime through Operation Metal, which is being led by the Luton community policing team

A man has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering after Bedfordshire Police seized more than £30,000 cash in Luton town centre. Bedfordshire Police community officers discovered the cash in the back of a car, which was stopped by police on Thursday, August 3.

A man in his 40s, from Luton, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of money laundering. The arrests follows extra work being carried out to disrupt organised crime through Operation Metal, which is being led by the Luton community policing team.

Last week on Wednesday (July 26), Bedfordshire Police officers out in Luton town centre were alerted to someone matching the description of a robbery suspect. He was stop-and-searched where officers found a large combat knife as well as dozens of bags of suspected Class A drugs, and he was subsequently arrested.

Later in the week, Bedfordshire Police community officers – who were investigating a suspected county drugs line – visited an address in Elizabeth Street in Luton, where they saw someone throw items away as they left the location. Police officers detained a man nearby and recovered the disposed items, which turned out to be Class A drugs were worth thousands of pounds.

The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drugs supply offences. Bedfordshire Police Chief Inspector Alex House, who is leading Operation Metal, said: “Tackling organised crime is everyone’s business – which includes all of us in policing, no matter what our role is.

“We have put plans in place to sustainably address crime ranging from drug dealing and anti-social behaviour through to violence against women and girls.

“We want Luton town centre to be a safe place for people to live, work and visit. These early results are really encouraging and send a strong message that we are out pursuing behaviour which undoubtedly damages our communities.”