Three arrested over money laundering

THREE people have been arrested in Rochdale following an investigation into money laundering.

Officers investigating the supply of drugs and the exploitation of vulnerable people attended a property in Castleton, on Wednesday (October 7).

Enquiries established that the owner of the property, a lady in her 60s, had been the victim of bogus building repair work.

As part of the investigation a 61-yearold man and a 40-year-old woman were both subsequently arrested on suspicion of fraud.

A woman, aged 29, was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

All three have since been released under investigation.

Following the arrests, GMP officers alongside Rochdale Borough Council Trading Standards, were able to stop a large payment of money being withdrawn from the victim’s bank account.

Inspector Andrew Fern, of GMP’s Rochdale district, said: “Our investigation into the activity of drug dealing and money laundering has led to the safeguarding of a vulnerable lady who could have been on the verge of losing a significant sum of money. The three arrests made are testament to the hard work and dedication of the officers involved in this investigation.

“The impact of this kind of offending cannot be understated and can have devastating consequences on people’s lives. Investigations of this nature rely partly on the intelligence we receive from members of the public in our communities, so I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to anyone with any concerns or information to get in touch with police as this is still very much an ongoing investigation and could help to protect the vulnerable within our community.”

Anyone with any information or concerns should contact police or the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.