Southport man arrested after cash and drugs found in car

Officers made two arrests and seized a total of £27,000 on Friday (6 June) after officers spotted a car they suspected had a disqualified driver at the wheel in Crosby.

At about 11am, a Skoda Kodiaq was seen being driven on College Road and later Cooks Road, where it stopped and the driver got out and entered a shop.

He was detained by officers at the scene, and around £1,000 was recovered from the vehicle. A 33-year-old man from Crosby was arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified and possession of criminal property.

The driver of a grey VW Tiguan, which was parked in front of the Skoda, then approached officers. That vehicle was searched and a further £6,000 cash was seized.

A 30-year-old man from Southport was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property, disqualified driving, and driving without insurance. He was taken into custody for questioning had has been released under investigation.

As part of their enquiries, officers searched a property and an estimated £20,000 cash was recovered.

Detective Inspector Sara Lang said: “We have officers proactively patrolling the roads in Merseyside every day of the year.

“We know that criminals with no regard for our communities use the road network to transport drugs, weapons and ill-gotten gains.

“Our proactivity on the roads can and has unearthed criminality beyond traffic offences, and we will continue to target anyone who takes the safety of other road users into their hands by driving illegally.

“The vigilance of officers in this case has led to the seizure of a significant quantity of cash we suspect is revenue from criminality, and that money has been seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“It is not right that criminals line their pockets by bringing fear and harm to our streets, while people who respect their communities work hard to earn an honest living.

“If you think someone is living well beyond their means in your community, please let us know. We will take every report seriously and make enquiries to ensure anyone living off the proceeds of crime is brought to justice and their assets removed and re-invested into policing our communities and keeping people safe.”

Anyone with information on this incident should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’. You can also report information via our website:  https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101 quoting reference 25000465076.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously. In an emergency always call 999.