Wrose,

Police in Bradford have made six arrests for fraud and seized hundreds of thousands of pounds in criminal assets during a week-long crackdown.

Warrants were issued across the district by Proceeds of Crime teams as part of the ‘Why Should They?’ campaign, which encourages people to tell police about anyone suspected of obtaining possessions illegally.

Two men, in Wrose, Shipley, and Eccleshill, were arrested on suspicion of false accounting and perverting the course of justice as part of a Trading Standards and police investigation. Police seized £500,000 of assets.

The men, aged 29 and 56, were bailed pending inquiries. The following day, officers visited an address in Canford Road, Allerton, where two men, aged 33 and 54, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and fraud, and £3,000 was seized.

A Birmingham woman, 28, was also arrested in connection with the investigation.

Officers executed a search warrant at a property in Castle Road, Keighley, and arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

Detective Sergeant Simon Pridgeon, of the Bradford South Proceeds of Crime Team said: “Our message is plain and simple. If people engage themselves in crime centred on acquiring assets the Bradford District POCA Teams will clamp down on them.

“Those who use the proceeds of crime to lead their lives provide only distress for their victims and are in themselves negative community figures. Through undertaking our operations, we are able to take away their ill-gotten gains and remove them from our neighbourhoods.”

Airedale and North Bradford Detective Chief Inspector Mabs Hussain added: “We have been able to identify assets in excess of £500,000 which includes a number of properties and vehicles.

“This year hundreds of thousands of pounds has been taken out of the hands of criminals in the Bradford District and reinvested in the fight against crime. I would call on members of the public to come forward and help the police to put a stop to those benefiting from the proceeds of crime by contacting the ‘Why Should They?’ campaign anonymously on 0800 555 111.”