Crucial arrests made in connection with organised immigration crime and money laundering in Manchester

Two men aged 41 and 59 have today (Wednesday 24) been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and fraud by false representation. This is part of a probe into a criminal network which is suspected of making vast profits from organised immigration crime in Manchester by producing fake identities and businesses in an attempt to money launder.

They remain in police custody and several properties in North Manchester are being searched in connection. So far, we’ve seized £5,000 cash, dozens of suspected fraudulent bank cards, and several documents indicating cryptocurrency assets, which will form part of our wider conspiracy.

Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers were also in attendance to identify suspects who may not only be breaking immigration law but could also be vulnerable to exploitation.

Detective Sergeant Pete Goddard from our Money Laundering Team said: “Organised crime groups will take extraordinary measures to try and hide their illicit finances from us, and we believe that the suspects we have arrested today have been creating fraudulent identities and businesses in an attempt to conceal criminal proceeds.

“It’s often sophisticated, but we have specialist financial investigators in our Economic Crime Unit to identify those involved in criminal financial activity, no matter how hard attempts are made to hide the money through various means.”

Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop, Force Lead for Serious Organised Crime, said: “Criminal networks involved in organised immigration crime are making vast sums of money from the illegal facilitation of migrants across international borders. The criminal cash is then funnelled into further forms of serious crime which directly harms our communities.

“In December 2023 we launched Project Asset which targets the illicit finances which arise from organised immigration crime. Despite being a new initiative, we have already seized thousands of pounds of suspected ill-gotten gains which in turn, will be reinvested back into our communities via the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme.

“Effective partnership work is crucial if we want to tackle the issues we are facing. In Greater Manchester Police, we have specialist taskforces working with key partners and international authorities to disrupt organised immigration crime and modern slavery.”