'Crime gang' operating from Belfast flat

Up to £20,000 in cash, herbal cannabis hidden in a television and suspected amphetamines with a potential street value of £23,000 were found in the raid earlier this month.

Prosecutors revealed that postal receipts for packages sent to London, Cardiff and Maghaberry Prison were discovered as well.

Metropolitan Police recovered a parcel containing another £20,000 wrapped in a pillow case from an address in London after they were alerted.

Details emerged during a bail application by a pregnant woman arrested along with two men in the Belfast operation on Monday.

Jin Jin Chen, a 23-year-old Chinese national with an address at Eblana Street in the city, is charged with two counts of possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply, five counts of possessing criminal property, and one of concealing criminal property.

She is claiming political asylum and says she is a human trafficking victim. Chen was in the Magdala Street flat searched by police on 13 June.

Between £10-20,000 in sterling and euro notes was found in bedrooms, a wallet, purse, suitcase and even secreted in a book on pregnancy, according to the prosecution.

More than 100 grams of herbal cannabis with a street value of 1,000 was confiscated, along with 2,361 grams of suspected amphetamines.

Conor Maguire, prosecuting, said CCTV footage allegedly showed two men posting packages and then immediately using mobile phones. He claimed two of the receipts were found in Chen's handbag.

One of them led to the search and seizure operation in London.

Mr Maguire said Welsh police were informed about addresses identified in Cardiff but failed to recover any packages.

Another package was sent to HMP Maghaberry but was not identified.

The barrister said detectives suspect the organised criminals involved have been operating in Belfast.

Opposing bail for Chen, he told the court: "Police do believe there's a risk of further offences whilst on bail because she is (allegedly) part of a large, significant criminal gang across the UK."

Chen claimed she was a victim of human trafficking after she was arrested. She said her family paid an unknown organisation to take her from China to London in 2006, where she worked illegally for the next five years.

But Mr Maguire expressed a further concern about her being released while pregnant, due to an unspecified medical condition.

The judge, Mr Justice McCloskey, adjourned the bail application until more information on her medical and immigration status is supplied.