South Yorkshire Police raids seize more than £200,000 of digital currency in 'first for area'

The currency was seized through a forfeiture order by Rotherham’s Fortify Team, which targets organised crime, and was linked to a “criminal enterprise”.

A report to South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings states that: “Fortify and the wider partnership has seen the execution of nineteen warrants and safeguarding of eleven people directly linked to organised crime groups.

“We have also recovered significant amounts of class A drugs along with several cannabis factories worth £200,000 to criminal groups when cultivated, and £15,000 in cash.

“In a first for Rotherham, we have also obtained a forfeiture order for £206,000 in digital currency which was identified through our work with a number of partners, both in the public and private sector, which we were able to link back to a criminal enterprise.

“Working alongside probation we have also secured the recall to prison of two mapped OCG members for not complying with their license condition.

“We have also identified and mapped two new OCG’s in Rotherham who we believe are involved in the supply of drugs and serious acquisitive crime.”

Temporary Superintendent Andy Wright told a meeting of the PCC’s public accountability board today (November 9): “This is the first seizure that we managed to locate through those means, and as you can see it’s a substantial figure.”