More than £11m of dirty money has been seized from criminals in Greater Manchester. GMP’s Economic Crime Unit have successfully recovered £11,242,753 this tax year.
The unit is made up of specialist teams who all target different areas of criminal finances. Last year they recovered a record £13,7m.
Over £5m came from the Account Freezing Order Team (AFO). By conducting civil investigations, the team freeze suspected criminal funds in bank accounts and these are then forfeited at court.
Another £3.5m came from the Asset Detention and Recovery Unit (ADRU) who deal with the seizure of all cash and listed assets like high-value watches, such as Rolexes, jewellery, gold bars, and bonds, by conducting civil investigations that arise following these seizures, with a view to forfeiting the assets at court. They can also seize the contents of bank accounts.
Over £2m came via the Confiscation and Restrain Unit – this is made up of financial investigators who restrain assets such as houses and then seek confiscation orders after criminal conviction.
The Money Laundering Team and Operation Falcon created in May 2022 to target cash couriers also made significant seizures.
Two sisters - at the centre of a huge drug trafficking operation - were ordered to pay back hundreds of thousands of pounds of their ill-gotten gains. Shazia Din, 44, led a Bury-based crime group, together with her older sister Abia Din, 47, a court was told. A beauty business - The Beauty Booth - was set up on the Chesham Industrial Estate in Bury as a front to launder dirty money made from the vast profits, police said.
In August, at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Manchester Crown Court, the judge confiscated a total of £345,031.40 from seven individuals involved in the drugs ring, including the sisters.
Police recovered £225,000 found when officers investigating money laundering stopped a car in Belvedere Road, just off the A6 roundabout at Pendleton, Salford, and found bundles of bank notes stuffed into cardboard boxes.
Two men were arrested after the swoop on October 6th. GMP patrols had stopped the vehicle as part of Operation Falcon - a region-wide pursuit of those suspected of being involved in the transporting and hiding of dirty money.
Almost half of the money forfeited from criminals and suspected offenders, returns to GMP through the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme (ARIS); a Home Office led programme, this money is re-invested into community programmes and charities across Greater Manchester, as well as funding policing programmes and operations to continue fighting crime.
One project helped by the confiscated cash is the Fitton Hill Bulldogs Community Sport Centre in Oldham. The £70,000 they received paid for an additional disability hoist within the clubhouse building, pitch drainage of a full size rugby pitch and a full size football pitch and will support pavilion refurbishments and strengthen external security provisions at the site.
Meanwhile, £50,000 has gone to the GetAwayNGetSafe (GANGS) project, which delivers early intervention, aimed at young people, to challenge attitudes towards gang culture, knife carrying and social responsibility. This has already been implemented at 20 schools in Moss Side, Wythenshawe and Longsight and due to its success, the funding is being used to roll this out across further areas.
If you are involved in a community group you can apply for a maximum of £20,000 to fund 12 months’ activities. The activities must support GMP’s objectives to fight, prevent and reduce crime; keep people safe; and care for victims. More information about ARIS funding applications here: Giving back: Investing in our community | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop who leads the Economic Crime Unit, said: “As a team we continue to create more innovative ways to recover criminal assets. GMP is one of the leading forces in the UK for seizing and recovering criminal funding.
“We have a number of highly skilled police officers and staff across a number of teams that make up the Economic Crime Unit, who collectively use a variety of options available under the Proceeds of Crime Act, including cash seizure powers, listed asset powers such as seizing high value jewellery, watches and artwork and bank account freezing orders.
“However well-hidden the cash and assets are – we will ensure that the money is not used to further serious and violent criminality. Let this be a stark reminder to anyone who believes that they can use illegitimate finances to fund their criminality – we will find it, forfeit it and reinvest that money back into the communities across Greater Manchester.
“Stripping criminals of their finances has a substantial impact on crime – I hope this figure serves as a reminder that tackling economic crime is a relentless task – our teams will continue to work diligently behind the scenes to ensure that those involved in criminal behaviour are brought to justice and pay the price for their crimes. If you see, or suspect something is wrong, tell us, and we can sort 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. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
