British soldiers arrested for ‘drugs and money laundering’ days before Queen’s Jubilee
Leonard T. Koonce
2 min read
Six British soldiers and a veteran have been arrested on suspicion of money lending, money laundering and conspiracy to supply drugs, the MoD said.
The six are with the 1st Battalion’s Irish Guards, who are due to lead the ‘Trooping the Colour’ military parade to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne in less than a week.
They were arrested in an early morning raid on Wednesday by Royal Military Police at their barracks in south-west England.
Raids also reportedly took place at a house in Windsor and at properties in Wales and Northern Ireland. The veteran is a former officer in the Coldstream Guards.
In its statement, the Ministry of Defense added: ‘None of the soldiers under investigation will take part in the parades planned for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Queen’s Grandson Prince William is Colonel of the Irish Guards and recently inspected the 1st Battalion at Windsor Castle. The MoD also said it “does not condone any type of illegal or fraudulent behavior”.
The Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1900 by Queen Victoria in recognition of the brave acts of Irish regiments during the Second Boer War. In recent years they have was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.
