West Mercia Police reveals how much cash it has frozen from criminals' bank accounts in the last year

West Mercia Police has revealed its progress in arresting criminals and seizing their assets, responding to the National Crime Agency's (NCA) annual assessment of the current threat posed by serious and organised crime (SOC) in the United Kingdom.

SOC includes offences such as drug trafficking, cybercrime, child criminal exploitation, weapon offences and human trafficking.

The county's police force says it remains "committed" to tackling serious and organised crime "head-on" in line with Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Campion’s Safer West Mercia Plan. 

Since April last year, West Mercia Police's Economic Crime Unit has frozen more than £6 million from criminals' bank accounts - a 28 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The police force said it is in the process of bidding for a "significant portion" of the cash to be reinvested into services such as neighbourhood policing.

West Mercia Police became the first force in the UK to receive funding from the Home Office to create a dedicated Proactive Asset Recovery Team, and the unit has detained more than £2 million since its launch in April 2023.

The police force said it has also achieved "major successes" in disrupting county lines drug operations.

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During its past two 'County Lines Intensification Weeks', officers have made 117 arrests, seized nearly £3 million worth of drugs, and safeguarded 75 vulnerable individuals.

Moreover, since April last year, West Mercia Police has recorded 1,206 SOC disruptions across the three counties it serves (Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire) which includes seizing two high-value vehicles worth more than £180,000 from gang members.

The force also said its Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET) has safeguarded more than 1,000 children and averaged three arrests per week since its establishment in 2016.

Detective Superintendent Tony Garner said: "Serious and organised crime causes immense harm to communities across the UK. Criminals will go to extreme lengths to carry out these activities, showing no regard for the impact on innocent people’s lives. That is why tackling this threat remains a priority for our force and something we will continue to dedicate resources to.

"We have achieved impressive results in disrupting illegal activities linked to serious and organised crime, but there is still work to do. We will continue to identify and arrest those intent on causing harm to our communities."

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion added: "I am focused on ensuring West Mercia is a no-go area for serious and organised criminals who often come from neighbouring areas, devastate local communities and exploit the most vulnerable.

"The results achieved by West Mercia Police over the past year are testament to that focus, delivering on the commitment within my police and crime plan to cut crime by taking dangerous criminals off our streets. However, there’s clearly more to do so I will continue to back the force with the resources it needs to keep making a real difference."