AROUND £19m of a £53.5m haul discovered by police in safe depository boxes across London came from one in Edgware.

Officers raided three branches run by private firm Safe Deposit Centres leading to around 1,800 potential investigations into crimes ranging from child pornography to possession of class A drugs.

Commander Allan Gibson, head of the economic and specialist crime directorate, said: "They were all from the same company. It was an intelligence-led operation and we obviously had our suspicions about how the organisation was being run."

Police finished searching the boxes last week after finding four hand guns, large amounts of ammunition, fraudulent documents, drugs including crack cocaine, cannabis, and opiates, images of child abuse and documents used for fraud and human trafficking.

Officers also discovered three 17th Century Dutch paintings, and a 20th Century portrait by a Russian artist.

Each box has been treated as a potential crime scene and all the items removed have been taken under armed convoy to a secure location for analysis.

This has left some residents unable to get to their possessions.

Commander Gibson said: "I do accept that a percentage of the boxes will be controlled by law-abiding members of the population and we have put in place a process to try and minimise trouble caused to the public."

He said some property had already been given back to people who needed it urgently after checks were made to make sure they were legally entitled to the goods.

Commander Gibson described the £53.5m figure as a "conservative estimate" and said work to turn the evidence into convictions would take at least two years.

Officers have said some of the cash was found stuffed into plastic carrier bags. This will be forfeited because police believe it has been earned through crime.

A large amount of jewellery was seized by police and it is believed the majority was being stored legitimately.

A freephone number, on 0800 030 4613, has been set up by police for people to call to retrieve their items stored legitimately.

Five people have been arrested as part of the operation. Two men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and bailed until September.

Two men were also arrested for obstruction but later released without charge.

The branch, in Manor Park Crescent, was raided on Monday, June 2.