Greater Manchester Police have revealed that over £4 million in criminal cash and assets have been recovered in less than a year of cracking down across the region.
As per a press release from GMP, they detailed how the dedicated Asset Detention and Recovery Unit (ADRU) collected a total of £4,226,798.39 in the past financial year.
Based on figures starting from April 2023 until now and made up of over 420 successful forfeiture orders, the impressive haul is made up of £3,816,998.39 in cash and an additional £409,800.00 in listed assets such as high-value watches and jewellery.
On Tuesday, 20 March alone, the team successfully secured a whopping £192,486.14 worth of illegal money and possessions submitted to Tameside Magistrates Court.
#NEWS | Over £4 million of criminal’s cash has been recovered by GMP since April 2023.
This financial year, our Asset Detention and Recovery Unit have forfeited a total of £4,226,798.39, surpassing last years figures 🏆
Citing other efforts by the unit, the statement goes on to explain how an October sting over in Ardwick saw officers find a “substantial” amount of cocaine hidden inside a toilet cistern, as well as precisely £11,385 in cash and a Rolex Oyster Watch worth over £12,000.
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But this particular operation didn’t stop there either, as these items were recovered along with a 1.87kg bag of cannabis, scales, vacuum-sealed bags a heat-sealing machine and envelopes, indicating they formed “part of a wider criminal enterprise”.
Better still, as part of the nationwide Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), while 50% of the money reclaimed is investing into the force and their further efforts, the other half goes straight back into various initiatives that benefit the community.
Detective Inspector Sarah Langley, of GMPs Asset Detention and Recovery Unit, said of the latest stats: “This is a huge achievement for the team. The officers in the unit work hard and a huge amount of work goes into preparing these cases to go to court to successfully recover criminal’s finances.
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“The money comes from a wide range of criminal activity from across Greater Manchester, from smaller amounts of cash we retrieve from local drug dealing issues, right up to disrupting large-scale organised criminals operating in the regions where money is often used to further serious violence in our communities.”
A great approach to making sure this money is put to best use to but make sure it continues, the authorities reiterate that they still “need you and your information”, so as always, if you have any knowledge of criminal activity you can call 101, 999 in immediate situations or use Crimestoppers anonymously.
Featured Images — Greater Manchester Police (via X)/Wikimedia Commons
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Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
You can read the full Altrincham feature here, and see where else The Sunday Times included in its list for 2026 here.
Featured Image – Geograph
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11 arrested and £70k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
11 people have been arrested, as well as a large amount of cash and drugs seized, during early-morning raids across Greater Manchester.
The raids took place during the early hours of the morning yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2026), where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) successfully executed eight warrants simultaneously across Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale to tackle a ‘suspected criminal network’ involved in the distribution of class A drugs and firearms.
Officers from Tameside Programme Challenger team, the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), and GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) were deployed to each of the addresses.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and preparation, a total of 11 people – each aged between 24 and 77 – were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences during the raids.
Eight men and three women were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, being part of an organised crime group, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and possession of an offensive weapon.
They all remain in police custody for questioning at this time, GMP confirmed.
During searches of the addresses, various class A, B and C drugs – including crack cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and nitrous oxide – were seized, while further recoveries of £70,000 in cash, a zombie knife, a BB gun, and four vehicles were also made at the same time.
Speaking following the success of the raids yesterday, Chief Superintendent Shan Nasim, District Commander for Tameside, said: “[This] operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our district and Greater Manchester.
“We have 11 people in custody being questioned by our investigation teams in relation to an organised crime group (OCG) that have been causing widespread harm across our communities.
“This action caused significant disruption of an organised crime group (OCG) and has prevented drugs and weapons from reaching the streets, as well as the associated harms that come hand in hand with organised crime.
“Organised criminals exploit vulnerable people and blight our communities; we will take robust action to catch offenders, keep our communities safe, and protect vulnerable people across Greater Manchester.”
Danny Jones -
21st March 2024 
