Nearly £650,000 seized this year in suspected criminal cash

The largest of the hauls was £102,500 as part of a drugs investigation.

We have a regional disruption team which can seize cash going through ports. Eleven seizures have been made amounting to £88,937.

We can also freeze money held in bank or building society accounts which is suspected to have come from crime, or that could be used in crime.

Because of this £167,902 has so far been frozen in seven individual bank accounts.

Senior Financial Investigator Lorraine Baines said: “I’m extremely pleased with the results my team is getting. It’s the first time we’ve had a hundred cash seizures in a year and there will be plenty more to come.

“Most of the money we are seizing or freezing come from drugs crime.

“The main focus of those individuals involved in drugs is to make a profit. We’re making sure that profit doesn’t work its way back into their criminal worlds.

“If we’ve investigated you and our officers come knocking, then you’ll have to explain that your money has come from a legitimate source. If not, we can take action.

“Part of the money seized goes to the government and is reinvested into regional crime fighting initiatives.

“The remaining money comes back into force to be used to benefit the people living in the communities that we serve in the future.”

Officers have the power to seize cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Read more about it here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/29/contents