Thaindian News

London, Mar 4 (ANI): Two directors of a corrupt safe deposit company in London will be sentenced today for running a 50 million pound ‘treasure trove’ for criminals.

Milton Woolf and Jacqueline Swan funded wealthy lifestyles by allowing organised crime gangs and murderers to store guns, gold bars and millions of pounds in illicit cash at their safe deposit box centres.

However, police managed to seize nearly 7,000 safety deposit boxes in a 10 million pounds sting, described as one of Scotland Yard’s most ambitious investigations in its 180-year history and the largest operation against organised crime.

They also discovered paintings, gold ingots, gold dust, jewellery, drugs, fraudulent passports, paedophile material and fake documents in boxes at the fraudsters’ London headquarters.

The duo turned a blind eye to the illicit goods and even advised customers how to store goods in such a way that would not arouse suspicion, the Southwark Crown Court was told.

“The directors, we say, wanted to try to adopt the ‘three wise monkeys’ approach - hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, rather than be vigilant to report suspicious activity as they were obliged to do,” Prosecutor Michael Holland had said.

Woolf, 55, of West Heath Drive in north west London, will reportedly be sentenced for 14 offences, including money-laundering and possession of a firearm, while 47-year-old Swan of Hexham Road, Barnet, will be sentenced for seven counts of money-laundering.

They were caught in June 2008 when police seized thousands of deposit boxes, ranging from small book-sized boxes to large walk-in safes in a string of raids in west London. (ANI)