MALVERN-based detectives leading a countrywide investigation into the illegal sale of high-value cars have recovered drugs with a street value of £350,000.

Crime Squad officers have been involved in a special West Mercia Police-led investigation, codenamed Operation Longbow, for almost a year.

The investigation has been probing the theft of high-value cars and counterfeit documents, registering them as legal imports from Japan.

Last Wednesday, seven people were arrested during raids in Yorkshire, Devon and London.

In a related raid in Brighton, officers arrested a further three people and recovered 35,000 amphetamine tablets, with a street value of £350,000.

As well as drugs, police have also seized 65 cars, with an estimated value of £1.5 million.

Seven of the ten arrested, eight men and two women, have since been released on police bail pending further investigations.

Three have been charged with vehicle theft, burglary and the supply of drugs. They were due to appear before magistrates in Brighton yesterday morning (Thursday).

A spokesman for the West Mercia force said the operation remained on-going. As a result, information released by the police has been limited.

But he confirmed the operation was led by the Malvern-based Crime Squad because initial information on documentation was received by the West Mercia force.

The spokesman described the amphetamine seizure as "very high value" in national terms and confirmed that Malvern officers had received support from officers from around the country in the investigation.

He added that the Crime Squad, which is based at Malvern Police Station, was called in because of the nature of the investigation.

"They have a responsibility for investigating major crimes which extend across the force area or into other force areas," he said.

"That can involve a whole range of crimes, it depends on how major the crime is."