National Crime Agency granted £800,000 cash forfeiture order

The money was found stuffed into the checked-in luggage of six Italian nationals, who were stopped by Border Force officers just before boarding a flight from Stansted Airport to Podgorica in Montenegro on 2 February 2019.

When questioned, the men involved (ie Pietro Doca, William Cerri, Giuseppino Anfosso, Giovanni Piazza, Angelo Inferrera and Nicola Anfosso) all claimed they traded in the sale and purchase of high value watches, such as Rolexes and Audemars Piguets.

However, nobody from the group could provide evidence – such as receipts or bank statements – that the money was linked to watch sales.

They were also unable to confirm how much the watches had sold for, despite claiming this had happened the day before the seizure.

The group additionally claimed to be carrying a total of £676,000 in cash, a difference of £142,025 from the £818,025 seized from them by officers.

Specifics of the case

The NCA’s case, heard at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 10 March, was that the cash was derived from money laundering and/or intended for use in unlawful conduct (and, therefore, recoverable).

The NCA believes the cash was being couriered by the group for an unknown third party to avoid transferring it via legitimate means, such as through the banking system, which would have provided an audit trail.

None of the men attended the hearing, at which the presiding authorities ordered the forfeiture of all the cash seized, plus interest accrued, and legal costs of £5,099.50.

Civil powers

NCA branch commander Mark Howes said: “The accounts given by these men regarding the origins of this cash were not credible. Not only did they fail to declare the money, despite being given numerous opportunities to do so, but the way it had been stuffed into the suitcases clearly suggested it hadn’t come from a legitimate source.”

Howes concluded: “The use of civil powers in cases like this allow us to target suspected criminal cash, which really helps deprive suspected criminals of their profits.”