Police have reinvested more than £15 million in cash seized from criminals back into local communities across Manchester.
Over the last financial year, Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Economic Crime Unit – which is made up of police officers, detectives, and other additional staff – have together recovered a whopping total of £15,163,436.27 of ‘criminal’ money.
The Economic Crime Unit is tasked with dealing with complex investigations relating to serious fraud, money laundering, and the confiscating of the finances of those that have profited from crime in Greater Manchester – with each of the teams working within the unit specialising in targeting criminals’ cash in the journey from its seizure, to the recovery of funds in court.
Some of the teams who work as part of the Economic Crime Unit include the dedicated ‘Money Laundering Team’, the ‘Account Freezing Order’ team, the ‘Asset Detention and Recovery’ team, and the ‘Restraint and Confiscation’ team.
#NEWS |Criminal cash given back to communities as we seize over £15 million in the last tax year 💰
The unit is made up of a number of teams who target criminal cash in the journey from the seizure of cash to the recovery of these funds in court.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 10, 2024
By working together as a team, each with a dedicated task at hand, this has meant that the Economic Crime Unit has broken records in the sheer volume of cash it has seized and then recovered for the force throughout this past year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The seized funds are then used as Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) funding to benefit the local communities across our region.
Detective Inspector Sarah Langley, of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, described the amount of criminal cash seized this financial year as a “significant achievement” for the region, as it not only “disrupts criminals as they look to line their pockets with illicit cash” but it also “directly benefits” communities across Greater Manchester as these funds are being reinvested into “vital” community programmes and services.
ADVERTISEMENT
£15 million of ‘criminal cash’ seized by police has been reinvested back into Manchester’s communities / Credit: GMP
“It’s fitting that we recover the money from those individuals who have profited from crime for their own selfish gain, and will now be used to improve our communities in Greater Manchester by giving the funding to those who need it the most,” DI Langley explained.
“Over the last year, we have worked hard to dismantle several criminal networks engaged in money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes.”
DI Langley said the reinvestment of the seized funds is “so satisfying”.
She continued: “This year we have recovered over £15 million, and a significant amount has been put back into Greater Manchester, and it’s so satisfying when we can see that our hard work has a difference on the communities we serve.
“This encourages us to get even more money this next financial year.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Emily Sergeant -
11th June 2024 
