DID the raiders have information from inside the high-security depot? Who in the underworld is now capable of planning such a meticulous operation and how will so much sudden cash be hidden?

When Kent’s top officers meet this morning there will already be a long checklist for the team of detectives hunting Britain’s newest millionaires. Suspicion is certain to focus on the depot staff and the possibility that someone provided the gang with key information about the security routine, the layout, the alarms and the movements of the manager.

An inside source could be one of the gang’s weak points. In 1983 Scotland Yard uncovered the key players in the £26 million Brink’s Mat robbery after finding the security guard who primed them.

The search for the robbers behind the Tonbridge raid will extend far beyond the Kent borders. The robbery took planning and co-ordination, which would mean that the leaders were experienced.

Intelligence files held by the Kent police intelligence unit, Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad, the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service could provide prime material.

Police will want to check whether there is a link to any other robberies. The key area will be any raids where hostages were taken. Forensic evidence will also be key and the cash itself may be a clue. One former senior Kent Police officer said: “This is a classic case where, despite evidence of the gang having put in a lot of planning, they have bitten off more than they can chew.”

He said that spending the money would be dangerous and banking it could be just as difficult. Somewhere someone may already be digging some very large holes for the time in the future when the heat is finally off.

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