Two men were arrested on suspicion of money laundering after Greater Manchester Police found nearly £160,000 in cash during a motorway stop on Friday night.
Discovery at Eccles Interchange
Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle heading towards Manchester from Merseyside via the M602. Officers stopped the car at the Eccles Interchange and found around £100,000 inside. A 51-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody for questioning.
Following a second tip-off, officers stopped another vehicle heading into Manchester. A search revealed £60,000 in cash, and a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. He also remains in custody for questioning.
Police response
Roads Policing Sergeant Laura Abram praised the collaborative effort between the force's FCCO and officers on the ground. She said: “This was a fantastic example of a collaborative effort between our FCCO and officers on the ground.”
“Following intelligence received into our FCCO, the first vehicle was located and stopped within 20 minutes. We will not tolerate any form of criminality on our streets – from driving offences to suspected money laundering and associated criminality.”
She added: “If you have any concerns, please report them to ourselves. Your information helps to build our intelligence picture to stop criminals in their tracks.”
Official statement
A Greater Manchester Police statement said: "Two men have been arrested and over £150,000 seized thanks to the proactive work of our Force Contact, Crime and Operations Centre (FCCO) and Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) teams."
The statement detailed that shortly before 6pm on Friday 2 October 2026, the FCCO received a report about a suspicious vehicle heading towards Greater Manchester from Merseyside. Officers from the newly formed TPACC team stopped the vehicle at the Eccles Interchange motorway junction and found approximately £100k.
Further information led to a second vehicle being intercepted, with £60K located during a search. Both arrested men remain in custody for questioning.
