A MAN from Kent has appeared in court accused of being part of an alleged £100 million cocaine ring.

Dennis Carpenter, 53, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Friday after one of the Metropolitan Police's largest ever simultaneous raids.

Officers swooped on Carpenter's home in Cromwell Road, Beckenham at 5.30am, on Wednesday. At the same time, police arrested 21 other people across the Greater London area.

They found about 111kg of suspected cocaine, with a street value of £5.5 million, several firearms and cash.

Unemployed Carpenter was charged the next day with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime and money laundering involving transferring cash, knowing or suspecting the cash to represent in whole or in part the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Eighteen other men and women from London, Surrey and Hertfordshire have also been charged with drug and money laundering offences. Seven of them have appeared in court.

Carpenter was remanded in custody and is next due to appear at Southwark Crown Court via video link for a plea and case management hearing in May.