Specialist economic crime investigators hit new milestone as over £1 million of criminal proceeds forfeited since April 2023

Greater Manchester Police’s Economic Crime Unit continue to crack down on illegal proceeds of crime.

Since April, the Asset Detention and Recovery Unit have successfully obtained forfeiture orders at court of £1,041,626.72, which is entirely made up from seized criminal cash.

Cash seized by officers in Cheetham Hill 

It includes sums uncovered at warrants across Greater Manchester – for example, £13,500 was found hidden in shoe boxed during a search of a property in Bolton where an estimated 20kg of cannabis was seized with vacuum packs also found in the property.

Officers also seized just over £95,500 in cash in an ASDA bag at a business premises in Cheetham Hill following an investigation by the Economic Crime Unit’s Money Laundering Team and ADRU.

At another warrant, a house in Droylsden was searched and around £10,000 was seized.

The significant amount of money recovered by officers will now be re-invested by GMP back into local community projects and policing operations to continue to keep people safe, through the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme (ARIS).

Through ARIS, non-profit organisations which benefit a large number of people, can apply to fund 12 months’ activities which pledge to support GMP’s objectives to fight, prevent and reduce crime; keep people safe; and care for victims.

Just some examples of where the ARIS funding has gone over the past few years within Greater Manchester:

- WeMove

- Oldham Mountain Rescue Team

- Breaking Barriers, Bolton

- Get Away and Get Safe

-Deaf Ex-Offenders Network

-Tackling Minds, Rochdale

-Tameside Arts

-Wigan Youth Zone

-Growing Together, Radcliffe

- Salford Veteran's Network

Map of ARIS distribution acrossGreater Manchester 

The money we recover is being used to help fight, prevent and reduce crime; keep people safe; and care for victims which ultimately makes Greater Manchester a better place to live, work and visit.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Langley, from our Asset Detention and Recovery Unit, said: “The ADRU team is dedicated to recovering criminal assets and dismantling networks that are involved in crime to ensure that the money is taken from criminals and re-invested into our communities.

“The ADRU is a team of expert detectives and police staff who use powers that are available to them under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and remain committed to ensuring criminals do not reap any form of reward from their criminality.

“The £1 million in cash successfully forfeited so far by the Asset Detention and Recovery Unit is a fantastic start to the year for our team and once again I am really proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our officers who continue to go above and beyond their duties to ensure that crime does not pay in Greater Manchester.

Our Economic Crime Unit has been recognised for their exemplary work in disrupting the financial networks that allow serious and organised criminals to prosper. The Asset Detention and Recovery Unit won Team of the Year at the Chief Constable's Awards in 2021 for their dedication and hard work, as the team have been behind some of the largest forfeitures of criminal finances in Greater Manchester in recent years.

The Asset Detention and Recovery Unit won Team of the Year at the Chief Constable's Awards in 2021

Detective Superintendent Joseph Harrop who leads the Economic Crime Unit, said: “With our total cash forfeitures this financial year now reaching over £1 million, it shows another very positive result  for the unit.

  “It doesn’t matter the lengths criminal groups take to conceal them, whether it be through assets such as cash, bank accounts and high value items, we will investigate, forfeit and reinvest this money back into the communities of Greater Manchester.

“Our main focus will always be to disrupt serious and organised crime networks by seizing their ill-gotten finances which create foundations for further criminality regardless of the lengths they take to conceal their finances.

“As we continue to work diligently behind the scenes to fight serious and organised criminal finances within our communities, I would like to thank the public for their ongoing support in sharing information and reporting any suspicious financial activity. This helps us successfully shatter established criminal networks and deprive them of their finances, so we are able to utilise the money for a better purpose.

“We are asking the public to remain vigilant and if you see, or suspect something is wrong, tell us, and we can do something about it."

Anyone with concerns or information about suspicious financial activity, should report to police online, if able, at www.gmp.police.uk or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

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