Nine men have appeared in court charged with money laundering offences in connection with a specialist fraud operation in Suffolk.

The men appeared either in person, via live video link, or were excused from attending Ipswich Crown Crown on Thursday morning for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

The case was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service Specialist Fraud Division under the label Operation Tansu.

All nine men are charged under section 328 of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 with entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by, or on behalf of another person.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in 2017.

Among those accused are three men from West Sussex, three from Kent, two from London and one from Lancashire.

Nathan Scott, 23, of Rudd Street, Haslingden, near Blackburn, was excused from attending court but denies three charges relating to cash deposits, transactions and money transfers from former Ipswich solicitors firm Mayland Porter.

Aaronpreet Sandhu, 28, of Alkerden Lane, Swanscombe, was also excused from attending but denies one count entering into an arrangement contrary to section 328 of the POCA Act.

Atif Ali, 42, of Stonefield Close, Crawley, Jugesh Atrish, 30, of Lennox Road, Gravesend, and David Johnson, 36, of Haddo Street, Greenwich, all appeared before the court in person.

Each denied entering into an arrangement contrary to section 328 of the POCA Act.

Andrew Adumoah, 34, of Huggins Place, Streatham, Aqib Javed, 27, of Martyrs Avenue, Crawley, Mark Rawcliffe, 31, of Cherry Lane, Crawley, and Ali Raza, 58, of Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, all appeared remotely via live video link.

Adumoah, Javed and Rawcliffe all denied entering into an arrangement contrary to section 328 of the POCA Act.

Raza pleaded guilty to entering into an arrangement contrary to section 328 of the POCA Act between July 31 and August 31, 2017.

He was released on unconditional bail until his sentencing at the conclusion of proceedings for the other defendants.

Judge Martyn Levett set a date for a mention hearing to take place in June to determine a venue for the three to four-week trial and consider other administrative matters.