Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has revealed that almost £14 million has been seized and recovered from criminals over the last year.
Detailing more about the significant sum, the police force confirmed in a statement that from March 2021 to April 2022, its Economic Crime Unit (ECU) was able to successfully recover a total of £13.7 million from criminals across Greater Manchester, which is an increase of 26% on the previous year.
According to GMP, a total of £3.7 million came from Confiscation Orders following the criminal conviction of offenders, £6.6 million in cash seizures, and £155,000 of seized listed assets – which includes items such as watches, precious metals, and more.
£3.2 million was also recovered by the new Account Freezing Order Team from accounts frozen due to their suspected use in crime.
In total, £5.7 million of the recovered funds will be returned to GMP as part of what the force has called the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), which will see the money used for a number of worthy community programmes and charities across the region.
It will also go towards funding policing programmes and operations to “further fight crime”.
“This has been a record year for asset recovery for GMP and we are one of the leading forces in the UK and that has resulted from a more proactive approach,” explained Detective Chief Inspector Joseph Harrop.
“We will continue to use more innovative and proactive ways to find and recover these assets [and] we are committed to tackling organised crime in all its guises and stripping assets from criminals.
“We have three new, highly skilled teams committed to asset recovery – the Confiscation and Restraint Unit, the Asset Detention and Recovery Unit and the Account Freezing Order Team – and these teams will hunt for and recover assets however they are hidden. We also have a new Money Laundering Team that will identify, investigate and prosecute all those involved in trying to launder criminal proceeds.”
He then added: “Half of the money forfeited goes automatically to the Greater Manchester Police ARIS fund used for charities and community initiatives.”
Following the seizure of funds, GMP is now appealing for information from the public about anyone they suspect to be living a criminally-funded lifestyle and may have hidden assets, so that they can “deprive them of their cash and use it for a better purpose.”
Featured Image – Greater Manchester Police
