Officers arrested 22 people, seized 20 vehicles and identified a suspected money launderer linked to around £100,000 during a targeted operation tackling organised immigration crime across Greater Manchester.

The two-week operation brought together officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Transport Policing and Crime Command and Force Contact, Crime and Operations teams, alongside partners from the Merseyside Matrix team, the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce.

Running between 21 September and 5 October, the intelligence-led operation focused on the Cheetham Hill and Whitefield areas, with officers targeting vehicles and individuals suspected of being involved in organised immigration crime.

Using intelligence shared by partner agencies and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, officers were able to identify and intercept vehicles linked to suspected offending.

During the operation, officers stopped 138 vehicles across Greater Manchester, resulting in:

• 22 arrests
• 20 vehicle seizures
• 26 traffic offence reports

Significant results included:

• The arrest of a suspected money launderer linked to approximately £100,000
• The recovery of around 30kg of cannabis, leading to a drugs supply arrest
• The arrest of a wanted robbery suspect

The operation was carried out with the aim of disrupting organised criminality, identifying immigration offenders, safeguarding vulnerable people and ensuring compliance with UK immigration legislation. 

Police Sergeant Neil Dalley, from GMP’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “The results of this operation demonstrate the value of intelligence-led policing and the strength of our partnership working.

“By working closely with colleagues across policing and immigration enforcement, we have been able to target those suspected of involvement in organised immigration crime while also identifying individuals linked to other forms of criminality.

“This proactive approach has delivered significant outcomes, and we will continue to carry out targeted operations to disrupt organised crime and keep our communities safe.”