FIFTEEN people have been arrested in early morning raids across the country in connection with suspected money laundering worth more than �200 million, it emerged today.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigators swooped on addresses in the North West, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire in the long-running investigation, codenamed Operation Enigma.

HMRC said around 250 of its investigators, helped by officers from a number of police forces, searched more than 20 properties in Rochdale, Manchester, Bradford, Southport and Nottingham.

Seven people - four men and three women - were arrested in Rochdale, aged between 32 and 71; there was one arrest in Manchester, a 31-year-old man; and four men were arrested in Bradford, aged between 27 and 55.

A 50-year-old man was arrested in Southport in the raid, and there were two arrests in Nottingham - both men, aged 43 and 37.