If you were planning on keeping your illegal contraband hidden from the authorities by keeping it in a safe deposit box, you’re not going to like this story coming out of London.

From the Times:

Thousands of safe deposit boxes used by the top tier of the criminal underworld were seized by police in an unprecedented raid involving hundreds of officers.

Detectives believe that the boxes may have been used for up to 20 years by criminals from several countries to store material connected with people-trafficking, prostitution, fraud, paedophilia, drug trafficking and armed robbery.

A total of 7,000 boxes ranging in size from A4 drawers to walk-in containers were seized from premises in Mayfair, Hampstead and Edgware in London. It is thought that they could contain up to £1 billion of cash, jewellery and heirlooms. Up to 90 per cent of the private boxes are also believed by officers to contain illegal goods.

The containers, which will be drilled open, are being kept under armed guard. The investigation into Safe Deposit Centres Ltd is ultimately a money-laundering inquiry, but each box is being treated as a potential crime scene. Once all the containers have been opened police expect to recover material that could lead to many investigations.