Drugs, money-laundering ring with 'links' to Premier League busted

London, Mar 23 (ANI): British and French police have busted a huge drug and money-laundering operation run by British gangsters which might have links to Premier League football transfers.

The police officers raided a number of upmarket homes in two isolated villages of France's Dordogne region.

There they found drugs and thousands of pounds worth of used notes, along with luxury cars including Aston Martin DB9s and Mercedes SLKs.

There have been at least four arrests in connection with the enquiry, all of British nationals who claimed to have moved to France 'for the good life'; The Sun quoted an investigating officer, as saying.

One claims he was regularly receiving cash payments for his work with UK-based football agents.

The enquiry began in May 2009 when one man was arrested in a car travelling from Narbonne, on the south coast, to the city of Toulouse.

Police found half-a-million pounds worth of used notes in a hidden compartment in the boot of his Mercedes, along with traces of cocaine.

The cocaine is thought to have been delivered from Spain, after arriving in boats from Africa, but there is also an allegation that some of the cash was linked to agents or other parties involved in the lucrative and notoriously unregulated trade in footballers, the paper reports.

The investigating officer added: "He told us that all the money came from professional footballer transfers in England. Those arrested say they had links with big names in the world of Premiership football."

The investigation is being coordinated by Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the Toulouse judicial police, the paper reports. (ANI)