Police have arrested two people and seized gold and jewellery worth up to £2 million in an investigation into money laundering.
The arrests from an inbound flight last night followed the discovery of seven gold bars with an estimated total value of £700,000 from a vehicle at Manchester Airport and a subsequent search of their luggage revealed a further estimated £1 million worth of gold and jewellery.
Further searches of the suspects addresses in Bradford, West Yorkshire, revealed further gold bars worth around £60k, in addition to a £30k watch and sum of money.
The total gold seized is believed to be the biggest haul in GMP’s history.
The two men – aged 49 and 45 – were arrested on suspicion of money laundering. They remain in custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.
Detective Inspector Sarah Langley, from GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Following initial enquiries, we have begun a money laundering investigation and have been working through all information available to us as part of this work.
“Any discovery of this size is of course something we want to explore all reasons for, and our specialist officers are currently determining the reasons for the gold and jewellery being brought into the country.
“Any offences regarding money or the illegal dealing and possession of goods is something we will simply never tolerate, and we will always act to ensure people are acting within the confines of the law.
“If this is something that you may have knowledge of, please do get in touch with us, as your information could greatly assist with our work.”
