'Hitting criminals where it hurts' - Cumbria Police seize £1m plus

News figures show how front-line officers have continued to have a series of spectacular successes when it comes to seizing cash that has been generated by crime, particularly the lucrative trade in illicit drugs.

According to the latest Home Office figures, in the year to April courts in the county approved the detention of £1,112,000 which had been seized by officers, in many cases from ‘couriers’ thought to be working for drug barons.

Local courts also approved 26 confiscation orders, allowing the police to permanently seize just over £539,000 of dodgy cash. Such orders are made after a court has convicted a person or persons of an offence.

Cumbria Police lawyers are currently in the process of applying to confiscate a further £331,000. A further 20 cash detention or seizure cases are also in the pipeline, with a further £620,000 potentially due to be seized.

The figures were released just days after magistrates in Carlisle approved the continued detention of £294,000 in cash, seized from the car of a driver who was stopped on the M6 as he drove southwards on September 29 last year.

Police in Cumbria are hitting the criminals where it hurts - in their pockets.

Lawyers told the court that the force needed to continue holding the money as detectives continue their investigation of its possible origins. All such detention orders are made under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

Money forfeited under this law is usually funnelled back into the the fight against crime, being split between the police force involved and the Home Office.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Myers told the News & Star: “Our officers work all-year-round to protect Cumbria against serious and organised crime.

“This work has seen organised crime groups jailed, drugs taken out of circulation, online offenders sentenced, fraud victims having money returned and the disruption or dismantling of criminal enterprises across the county.

“One of the key ways to hit organised crime groups where it hurts is in their pockets and bank accounts – and this is where the seizure of illegally-held money and assets is vital. If we can take away the cash that motivates their desire to commit crime in the first place we can deter further offending."

Magistrates or a district judge can make cash forfeiture of time-limited detention orders if they are satisfied there are good reasons to suspect the money is either profits from crime or intended for use in criminal activity.

Many investigations lead to cash being forfeited, though the person caught with the money has the right to oppose an application.

Cumbria Constabulary’s ongoing work to protect the county against serious and organised crime is carried out under the banner of Operation Alliance.

This includes work to seize illegally-held and acquired money and assets.

Detective Chief Inspector Myers added: “Operation Alliance sees us work with various other law enforcement and partner agencies to protect people and bring criminals to justice.

“But, as always, the most important people in this is the public. To keep up the fight against this type of organised crime we need the public to let us know when they see anything suspicious in their communities.

“Cumbria remains one of the safest places in the country – but we are never complacent when it comes to dealing with crime. The Constabulary has had a lot of success dealing with serious and organised crime in Cumbria in recent years.

“This is what our officers do day-in, day-out to tackle and deter crime and keep people safe. But to keep up that work we need the information and intelligence to keep coming to us. Help us to protect your communities.”

Recent years have seen regular cash seizures from criminals using the M6, often transporting drugs northwards to Scotland and money southwards.

In recent months, notable police successes have included:

March 2023: Magistrates said police can continue to hold £15,000 seized from a driver whose car was stopped by police on the M6 near Carlisle  on March 22. The driver, a pizza delivery man from Wigan, seemed “nervous”. He could not explain why he had so much cash hidden in a bag for life in the passenger footwell.

February 2023: Magistrates approved the forfeiture of £28,000, seized from a motorist who was driving south on the M6 near Carlisle. The driver, from Scotland, was told he must also pay the costs of the police application, assessed at £2,743.

January 2023: Cumbria Police won approval to continue holding more than £70,000 after two unconnected seizures in one day. In the first, police found the cash in a Mercedes, parked next to the A66 at Whinfell, between Penrith and Temple Sowerby, on January 13. Officers found 13 bundles of cash – a total of £65,000. The 59-year-old driver - from Wakefield – said he knew nothing about the money. In the second case, magistrates approved the continued detention of £6,000 seized from a Manchester man, stopped on the M6 southbound in Cumbria on January 13.

December 2022: A Cumbria Police application to continue holding £39,000 – seized in one afternoon following two unconnected police stops on the M6. The first driver drew attention to his car by 'hogging' the middle lane of the M6 as he drove through the county. The amount seized from the second driver was £23,000. Police are continuing to investigate the source of the money.

If you have information that could help Cumbria Police prevent or detect crime call 101, or 999 in an emergency.