Salford man convicted after almost £200k cash found in Cops and Robbers game machine

A man from Salford has admitted money laundering and drug offences after police executed three warrants in the Eccles area and seized nearly £200,000 in cash and class B drugs.

Anthony Stephenson (04/12/1986), of Westwood Crescent, had been charged with possession with intent to supply a controlled substance and money laundering.

He appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court today (Friday 4 June) where he admitted both counts.

He was arrested yesterday (3 June) after dawn raids at his addresses and two other Salford addresses on Old School Court and Mitcheson Gardens.

It was at his address and the Mitcheson Gardens address where officers discovered a large quantity of cash - linked to Stephenson - within locked safe deposit boxes.

A Cops and Robbers gambling machine was also discovered at one of the addresses where much of the £192,210 total was recovered.

Controlled substances packaged for supply, believed to be amphetamine, were also found in Stephenson's possession and he was arrested and taken to custody.

Stephenson has been recalled to prison for a breach of his license conditions and will be sentenced at a later date for the offences he pleaded guilty to today.

A 31-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled substance and he has since been released while enquiries continue.

The action comes as part of GMP Salford's Operation Naseby - a dedicated taskforce to tackling and disrupting organised crime in the city.

Since its inception of the 'disruption hub' in April 2020, it has seen a notable decrease in organised crime activity, including a 40% drop in firearms discharges between April 2020 and March 2021.

Anyone with information or concerns should contact police online, if able, via www.gmp.police.uk, or 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.