An 80-year-old farmer, already embroiled in a dispute with his village, has had his home stormed by armed police in a dramatic early morning raid linked to a major money laundering investigation.
Dawn Raid on Rural Farmhouse
Carl Powell, 80, was awoken at 3.30am on Thursday, 8 January, by shouts of 'armed police!' as approximately 20 officers forced entry into his Stone Arrow Farm home in Peopleton, Worcestershire. The officers used a battering ram to break open his wooden farmhouse door while he was upstairs in bed.
Mr Powell described being pushed back into his bedroom by officers wearing balaclavas and hard hats. "I thought I was a goner," he said. "I thought they were thugs or gangsters. I'm in a state of shock." He was detained during the search and told he would be arrested if he moved outside.
Cash and Property Seized in Major Operation
During the three-hour search, police confiscated around £60,000 in cash from Mr Powell's property, which he described as his life savings built up over years. Officers also seized ammunition, financial records, electronic devices, and suspected counterfeit electrical goods thought to be connected to money laundering. A suspected stolen vehicle was recovered from the farm.
Police sliced open eight metal storage units in the yard, despite Mr Powell's offer to open them cooperatively. He questioned the need for such force, stating officers told him it was to prevent the destruction of evidence.
Broader Investigation into Illegal Activity
The raid forms part of a wider operation by West Mercia Police's specialist economic crime officers. Across properties in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire, police seized £97,000 in cash and froze between £200,000 and £300,000 in bank accounts.
In a separate property in Drakes Broughton, near Pershore, six firearms and approximately £18,000 in cash were discovered, leading to two arrests.
Safer Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Wise stated the operation was a "significant development" in an investigation into suspected money laundering linked to illegal waste activity. "Illegal waste activity is a blight on our environment and cannot be tackled by any single agency acting alone," he added.
Background of Local Controversy
Mr Powell was already under investigation for allegedly operating an unlawful dump and lorry park on his land. He had previously stirred controversy in the village of Peopleton by erecting a 15ft billboard labelling it a "murderous, lawless and godforsaken place."
Following the traumatic raid, the octogenarian, who refutes any wrongdoing, expressed a desire to sell his farm and relocate overseas. "I'm absolutely devastated and that's an understatement," he said. "People are asking me if I'm all right. No I'm not. Who would be?"
