NWROCU officers, assisted by Merseyside Police, arrested three people at a Southport address last week (Thursday, May 2) as part of an investigation into benefit fraud and counterfeit goods.

Three people from Southport were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation; a 33 year old woman, a 32 year old man, and a 62 year old woman.

They were taken to a local police station for questioning but have since been released under investigation.

Above statement issued by North West Region Organised Crime Unit.

Created in 2009, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) is funded by the six police forces that make up the North West region, with Merseyside Police being the lead force.

It’s made up of officers and staff from across the region who offer specialist skills and additional resources.

The mission of the unit is simple – to identify, disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups causing the most harm to the North West. We do this by working with our partners to gather intelligence, cracking the most serious and organised crime networks and then seizing the assets of the criminals involved.

Operating across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales, the ROCU has bases across the region.