A police swoop that saw dog patrols halt traffic bound for the M53 was a pre-planned operation targeting a suspected money launderer.
Vehicles were trapped in a road block after exiting the Wallasey Tunnel at around 5pm on Saturday evening.
Dramatic footage showed a man being handcuffed while on the ground after officers surrounded his car.
Dog units were among the patrols scrambled to carry out the arrest.
One witness, called Tom, said: "After going through the tunnel the first turn-off was blocked off by two police cars so everybody was going straight towards the M53.
"As you got a mile or so up the road there was a road block. They had police blocking the road, one police car then came up the right hand side and one up the hard shoulder, it was crazy."
It has emerged the arrest was carried out on behalf of the National Crime Agency, the lead agency on tackling serious and organised crime in the UK.
The NCA told the ECHO a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering offences.
The man, from Birkenhead , has since been released under investigation.
