Four 'suspected Albanian gangsters' are charged with money laundering and drug trafficking after investigators seize £340,000 in cash and cocaine worth £400,000

Four members of a suspected Albanian crime gang have been charged with money laundering and drug dealing offences following raids across London and Essex. 

Officers from the National Crime Agency along with teams from the Metropolitan Police and Essex Police targeted a number of properties on Wednesday morning. 

The search teams recovered £340,000 in cash and suspected cocaine worth an estimated £400,000. 

Officers from the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan and Essex Police forces raided three addresses in London and Essex where they recovered drugs, cash and cutting agent

Four men have been arrested and charged in connection with the haul following Wednesday's raids. The four men, who are all from Albania, were remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court next month

Some four kilograms of cocaine were recovered by search teams. Matt McMillan of the NCA said: ''These were large cash seizures, with the ability to cause serious disruption to serious and organised crime'

According to the NCA, Rrustem Dauti, 30, and Fisnik Kurtucai, 32, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering. 

Florian Mehsi, 22, was arrested on suspicion of drugs and immigration offences. 

A fourth man, Azem Gashi, 26, was also arrested on suspicion of drugs offences. 

Officers raided addresses in London and Essex where they recovered significant amounts of evidence. 

In one house, officers recovered a bag with approximately £100,000 in cash inside. 

This raid led officers to target an address in Essex where they recovered a further £140,000 in cash and a chemical agent used in the cutting of cocaine. 

Officers then raided a third address house where they recovered four kilos of cocaine and a further £100,000 in cash. 

All four men were taken to Acton Police station where they were charged and later  appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, where they were remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on February 12.  

OCP Operations Manager Matt McMillan said: 'The NCA and Met continue to work in partnership to detect and apprehend individuals suspected of profiting from drug trafficking.

'These were large cash seizures, with the ability to cause serious disruption to serious and organised crime.'