Police find more than £50,000 hidden in car after stopping it in Cheetham Hill, Manchester - man arrested

Police stopped a car in Manchester and found more than £50,000 in cash hidden away in various locations around the vehicle.

Officers flagged down the car in the Cheetham Hill area of the city on Monday (17 October) and found the huge amount of cash squirrelled away in a number of secret places within it. A man has been arrested and released pending further investigation.

Police say their action to intercept the car was part of attempts to crack down on money laundering in Manchester.

What happened in Cheetham Hill when police stopped the vehicle?

The roads policing unit at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) stopped the vehicle in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester on Monday afternoon.

Searching the car, the officers found more than £50,000 in cash hidden away in a variety of locations around the vehicle. A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property and has now been released under investigation.

Police say the action in Cheetham Hill was part of Operation Falcon. GMP’s money laundering team has been working with the Economic Crime and Cyber Unit (ECU) in partnership with the roads policing officers and special operations to tackle money laundering across Greater Manchester.

What have the police said about the arrest?

Temporary detective superintendent Joe Harrop, the lead for GMP’s Operation Falcon, said: “We are working hard to tackle cash-based money laundering across Greater Manchester, which often funds serious and organised crime. Monday’s seizure is just another example of the fantastic work that the team are carrying out as part of Operation Falcon.

“In the five months since its inception, Operation Falcon has seized over £750k from across Greater Manchester as part of the force’s crackdown on money laundering, and we will continue to target those suspected to be involved and reinvest the money back into the communities of Greater Manchester.”