Kent police have seized more than £6 million in cash in the last two and a half years.

Since April 2008 officers have conducted 449 separate searches.

More than half the haul was found at the county’s ports from people suspected of money laundering – with most seized at Dover, Europe's busiest port, and at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone.

A third of the haul came from two seizures of £1.4 million and £681,000.

In the £1.4 million raid, cash was found in boxes in a van leaving the country from Dover in July 2009 – it is thought to be the largest amount ever seized at a British port.

And the £681,000 was found in a washing machine leaving Dover in March last year.

Frontier Operations Detective Inspector, Charlie Stokes, said: "When people carry large sums of cash it’s usually indicative of illegal activity such as money laundering or drug trafficking. Anyone carrying more than £1,000 in cash when they arrive in or leave the country faces having it seized unless they can show they have the money for lawful purposes."

In total, more than £4.5 million was stripped from 157 suspects since April 2008 – with half of the money going to the Home Office and half going to Kent Police.

More than half the haul was found at the county’s ports from people suspected of money laundering – with most seized at Dover, Europe's busiest port, and at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone.

A third of the haul came from two seizures of £1.4 million and £681,000.

In the £1.4 million raid, cash was found in boxes in a van leaving the country from Dover in July 2009 – it is thought to be the largest amount ever seized at a British port.

And the £681,000 was found in a washing machine leaving Dover in March last year.

Frontier Operations Detective Inspector, Charlie Stokes, said: "When people carry large sums of cash it’s usually indicative of illegal activity such as money laundering or drug trafficking. Anyone carrying more than £1,000 in cash when they arrive in or leave the country faces having it seized unless they can show they have the money for lawful purposes."

In total, more than £4.5 million was stripped from 157 suspects since April 2008 – with half of the money going to the Home Office and half going to Kent Police.