Man quizzed after seizure of £500,000 in cash
A money laundering probe has been launched after separate seizures in Warwickshire and Essex.
Detectives who seized £400,000 in cash after stopping a van have recovered a further £100,000 at the driver’s home.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspected proceeds of crime were found after West Midlands Police intercepted a vehicle on the M6 near Rugby last Tuesday.
After £400,000 was found in a holdall during the stop, which saw a man arrested on suspicion of money laundering, officers searched his home in the Epping Forest area of Essex.
A stash of banknotes thought to be in the region of £100,000 was then seized from the property under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
NCA deputy director Chris Farrimond said: “Money is the lifeblood of organised crime and we will do all we can to disrupt the flow of illicit wealth wherever we can.
“These were substantial seizures, and I’ve no doubt that the money would have been re-invested in further criminality.
“Working with West Midlands Police we have successfully disrupted the activity of an organised crime group specialising in cash-based money laundering.”
Sergeant Helen Ainsworth, from the Economic Crime Unit at West Midlands Police, added: “This is a significant amount of cash and a thorough investigation has commenced.
“If we discover it has been obtained through criminality, we will be pursuing full forfeiture of the amount through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), which means that we will be able to use the cash for deserving community-led initiatives.”
The suspect has since been released pending further inquiries.
