Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have seized more than £2 million in criminal money following a dedicated operation.

The operation - dubbed 'Falcon' - combined different specialist police teams with the aim of removing funds from criminal networks; specifically by targeting laundered money travelling along the road.

£2 million has been intercepted since the operation was launched in 2022.

The captured money was used to fund other policing initiatives and community projects.

The intercepted money was used to fund policing and community projects (Image - GMP)

Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop 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."

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