Operation Falcon continues to ruffle criminals’ feathers as over £2 million seized since launched

Operation Falcon was launched in May 2022, it is a collaborative effort involving officers from across a number of different specialist teams ranging from our Economic Crime Unit, Serious and Organised Crime Group, Specialist Operations and intelligence officers who all work towards removing funds from criminal networks. 

Since the creation of the operation, officers have clawed back criminal money which has then been used to fund community initiatives and policing operations that tackle, reduce and prevent crime - ultimately keeping the public safe. 

Money located in carrier bag as part of Operation Falcon

Money laundering is the process of turning criminal proceeds into legitimate funds through businesses, bank accounts and even moving the money abroad and it costs the UK economy billions of pounds a year.

Operation Falcon was created to stop cash-based money laundering, in particular the transport of large sums of criminal cash on our roads. The teams involved track and intercept unregistered cash on the move. 

Money seized as part of Operation Falcon 

Over £2 million has been seized since the creation of Operation Falcon in 2022 which has come from a range of policing activity from proactive operations on our roads to warrants executed at known criminal addresses.

Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop head of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime and Lead for Operation Falcon, said “If we stop the right criminals in the right cars, there is a high likelihood that they will be transporting cash.

“The operation has been successful because we use officers and police staff with different skillsets. We have officers that can develop intelligence and then our specialist driving capabilities in our Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit who are utilised to stop criminals in their tracks. The cases are then sent to experts in our Asset Detention and Recovery Unit to then prove the money has been acquired by illicit means, and then we can ultimately recover that cash in the courts.

“Money laundering is a factor in every single crime type, and it is a means to generate an income to further their criminality. It is important to recognise that those criminals that are operating at this level and moving large sums of cash are the criminals who are blighting our communities the most, and removing their funds means we are ultimately making Greater Manchester a safer place to live work and visit. 

“We will continue this momentum by continuing to tackle criminal finance, and if you’re operating in Greater Manchester and you’re generating money from crime - we will come and get it off you and then reinvest it back into our community.”

Read more about the organisations in Greater Manchester that have benefitted from recovered criminal cash:  The journey of money from the pockets of criminals' to the hands of Greater Manchester’s communities | Greater Manchester Police

Anyone with information about suspicious financial activity can report it to us online through our online crime reporting form, or by calling 101. You can also report via our Live Chat service on our website: www.gmp.police.uk

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