Two men have been arrested on suspicion of money laundering after about £160,000 in cash was found in two cars travelling from Merseyside into Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police said it received reports of a suspicious vehicle at about 6pm on Friday 2 October, heading towards Greater Manchester via the M602.

One vehicle was stopped at the Eccles Interchange. Officers found about £100,000 in cash. A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

A second vehicle was stopped after further intelligence. About £60,000 was seized and a 37-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

Both men remained in custody for questioning when police released details of the stops.

Roads Policing Sergeant Laura Abram said the first vehicle was located and stopped within about 20 minutes of intelligence reaching the force contact centre, and that the force would not tolerate suspected money laundering or associated criminality.

Arrests are not proof of guilt. No charges had been announced in the initial police statements.

Sources: Greater Manchester Police; the BBC; the Manchester Evening News. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources above.