Charges over pounds 70m `drug laundering'

A money dealer has been charged with laundering pounds 70m of drugs proceeds, it emerged last night. Ussama el-Kurd, owner of the Notting Hill Exchange bureau de change in west London, was charged with converting the sterling into assorted currencies, knowing or suspecting the money to be the proceeds of drug trafficking.

A Customs and Excise spokesman said that el-Kurd, of Notting Hill Gate, was charged under the Drugs Trafficking Act 1994 and remanded in custody until a later date following an appearance yesterday before City of London magistrates.