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With regard to operation RIZE much of the material found is legitimately stored by rightful owners. Yet each safety deposit box has been treated as a single potential crime scene. We are concerned that the authorities will consider unprecedented action against other box holders, many of whom will be innocent. Many of the box holders are likely to be someone with a high profile where a successful prosecution would attract publicity and act as a powerful deterrent to others.

We are told that 1,800 individual investigations are likely to ensue, with the search and seizure phase of the operation now at an end. Where criminality is suspected, evidence from the boxes is being passed to the relevant police units to investigate further and arrest those who have sought to use safe custody facilities to hide the proceeds of illegal activity.

Jeffrey Lewis, senior partner of law firm Lewis Nedas, which has represented more than 70 box-holders, said: “If police want to search a flat rented by a drug dealer in a block of flats, they would ordinarily be granted a warrant to search the flat used by that particular suspect. In this case, they have in effect smashed their way into every flat on no real credible basis.”

Appleton Richardson & Co. are primarily investigation specialists and are continuously battling with HM Revenue & Customs on behalf of its clients so there are no conflicts of interest – just a pure will to win

 

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