Friday 09 January 2026 - BSIA COMMS
[PRESS RELEASE] Manchester, UK — Due to our relentless pursuit of offenders by our Serious Crime Division, we have seen a significant fall in high-harm business robberies.
In 2025, we saw zero cash-in-transit robberies across the force, following just two offences in 2024.
These reductions in incidents are due to a combination of a strong partnership with SaferCash and disruption work being done to target organised crime groups.
The work our Serious Crime Division does in this area has seen us arrest, dismantle, and subsequently sentence some prolific offenders.
In 2020, four men were jailed for a combined 77 years following 10 armed robberies which occurred across Greater Manchester and Derbyshire over a three-month period between November 2018 and January 2019.
During the ten robberies, the gang stole approximately £87,500 in the lead up to their arrest.
Similarly, Paul Dunn (16/12/1988) from Hulme, Nathan Kennedy (31/08/1980) from Trafford, and Liam McCloy (13/03/1988) were jailed for 28 years collectively in 2023 following a series of armed robberies targeting cash-in-transit drivers.
The gang were identified and linked to their crimes due to their MO. Each time, the guard was attacked by the masked group with an axe.
Whilst they tried to cover their tracks by hiring rental cars and wearing balaclavas, days after each robbery money was deposited into Dunn’s and Kennedy’s bank accounts, leaving a paper trail of the crimes.
In total, the group stole almost £260,000. Read more here: Gambling thieves who blew stolen funds jailed for 28 years | Greater Manchester Police
Our work in this area has also seen robbery at financial institutions reach a record low. In 2025, 10 offences were recorded, which is down from an average of 14.75 in the last four years.
Ben Thompson (11/9/1987) of Kentworthy Lane, Wythenshawe, was jailed for 20 years, and Wesley Shepherd (11/12/1983) of Thirsk Avenue, Sale, was also jailed for 18 years and eight months for the parts they played in the robberies of four commercial premises between April–July 2023.
Driving stolen cars, the men would enter premises armed and threaten staff before placing an explosive device into the machine in an attempt to gain access to cash.
After stealing the cash, they were spotted passing through Manchester Airport, jetting off to Malaga, Egypt, and Mexico.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from our Serious Crime Division said: “These results represent a really important step forward for the force and for the businesses and staff who are most impacted by high-harm robberies.
“My officers within the Serious Organised Crime Group have worked incredibly hard to keep the pressure on offenders and have secured key convictions which have included lengthy sentences. They have also dismantled these organised groups who have historically caused us problems and significant harm to our communities.
“Partnership working has also been central to this success. Our ongoing relationship with SaferCash, who fund a dedicated intelligence officer embedded within one of our syndicates, continues to enhance the way we share information and identify emerging threats early.”
Sarah Staff, Director of the British Security Industry Association and Head of SaferCash, said:“SaferCash has retained a longstanding close partnership with Greater Manchester Police, working with and on behalf of our Cash and Valuables in Transit members.
“The continuous focus on prevention, rapid response to crime in action and specialist intelligence-led policing by their Serious Organised Crime Group has delivered these significant outcomes.
“The success of this partnership highlights Greater Manchester’s leadership in tackling violent crime and demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated action between the police, SaferCash, and the cash-in-transit industry.
“Through improved intelligence sharing, innovative crime-prevention technology, and proactive policing, the region has made significant strides in protecting both security professionals, reducing the fear of crime to staff and the wider community.”