POLICE who found more than £1 million ($1.61 million) in cash in an attic have been told by magistrates they can keep the money.
Officers made the discovery, which is the largest in the force’s history, at a semi-detached house in the Stechford area of Birmingham, West Midlands, as part of an investigation into drug dealing activity.
An industrial-sized cash counting machine was also found in the attic, a West Midlands Police spokeswoman said.
Detectives made the find in September, but details were only released on Friday because the owners had 28 days to provide proof of where it came from so they could claim it back.
The force was told on October 26 that it can keep the money after appealing to Birmingham Magistrates Court to forfeit the cash on the basis that it was obtained through the proceeds of drug dealing.
Detective Chief Inspector Steven Reed, who heads the Economic Crime Unit, said the money would be ploughed back into local incentives.
He said: “This is the most significant seizure of cash in the history of the force.
“Our specialist financial investigators have also been successful in forfeiting the money, which means it can be reinvested back into the community for the benefit of others.
“We hope it will go a long way towards disrupting criminal activity in the area and reassure members of the public we are fully committed to protecting them from drug dealers and any other form of criminal activity.”
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