Police seize £165k in criminal cash after stopping car on busy road

POLICE seized £165k in suspected criminal cash after stopping a car on a busy road in Co. Down.

The vehicle was stopped on the A1 near Banbridge at approximately 1.30pm yesterday (March 26).

Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Roads Policing Unit searched the car and found the cash which was immediately seized.

Police stopped the car on the busy A1 road in Banbridge (Pics: PSNI)

A 33-year-old man who was then arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property remains in police custody at this time.

Follow-up searches were then carried out in two properties in west Belfast.

During those searches a number of items were seized, including suspected herbal cannabis worth an estimated £67,500, a further £6k in cash, drug supply paraphernalia and a round of ammunition.

Some £165k of suspected criminal cash was found in the car

The man has since been further arrested for possession of a class B drug with intent to supply, possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances and without a licence, possession of a class B drug, handling stolen goods and being concerned in the supply of a class B drug.

“I welcome today’s seizure made by my colleagues in the Roads Policing Unit,” Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney, of the PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit, said.

“We know from experience that removing cash and high value assets has a real impact on the organised criminal groups involved in exploiting our communities for their own profit,” he added.

Suspected cannabis worth an estimated £67,500 was found during follow-up searches

“Such criminal groups are motivated only by financial gain and have no regard for the misery and suffering they inflict on the most vulnerable in our society.

“We remain determined to remove their ability to do so but we recognise we have much work to do.”

Det Insp Sweeney urged community members to do their bit to help rid their local areas of organied crime groups.

“We are dependent on the assistance of the community for this work and, to this end, I would appeal for anyone with any information about this type of criminality to contact detectives on 101,” he said.