Police seized £80,000 in cash and a 1.5kg gold bar worth £40,000 this morning during a dawn raid.

Eight officers from Havering’s North Cluster Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), assisted by a specially trained drug and cash dog, discovered £50,000 hidden in a safe hidden beneath floorboards at an address in Highfield Road, Collier Row - and a further £30,000 in other areas of the premises.

The gold ingot and a small quantity of cannabis were also discovered during the search, which was led by Sergeant Chris Toms on the back of community intelligence.

Six people, three men and three women, aged 24-53 were arrested at the scene on suspicion of money laundering offences and taken to an east London police station.

Police Constable Jordan Pascel, said: “We have made a very significant discovery today. The amount of cash and other items seized were significant and I am confident that we have reduced crime in our neighbourhood as a result of our actions.”

The NPT were assisted by Territorial Support Group officers during the 5.30am raid, and a number of computers were also seized.

Officers had applied for and were granted the warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. NPT teams across the borough execute raids on a weekly basis.