A man suspected of a string of sexual offences against children has been arrested after a shop raid in New Cross.
Officers swooped on a New Cross Road business on Thursday, January 18, and seized a hall of suspected stolen items and £15,000 cash.
They arrested a man on suspicion of handling stolen goods and money laundering.
Once in custody, officers realised the man had been accused of several sexual offences against girls aged below thirteen.
They alerted the child abuse investigation team, who had been investigating the allegations, who further arrested him for suspected sexual offences.
DC Mara Phipps, who works in a Lewisham child protection team, said: “Protecting women and children is a key priority for the Met, and we investigate incredibly complex and sad crimes.
“Our team pour their heart and soul into working with victims in order to get them the justice they deserve.”
Acting Inspector Ryan West, who leads one of the teams that carried out the initial inspection, said: “This operation was a direct result of local officers acting upon intelligence received from the community which has led to further arrests for multiple offences. This shows the importance of community policing.
“We are working hard to act on issues we know worry our neighbourhoods, and are using data and insight to precisely target where the problems are.”