Finnish Customs detained two persons on charge of suspected money laundering on their arrival at Helsinki Airport from Paris in the beginning of this year, said Customs in a press release on Monday.
The authority found 100,000 euros in cash hidden in two suitcases registered under the name of one of the suspects, who were traveling from Paris to Hong Kong via Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
The case has been investigated as an aggravated money laundering offence.
The suspects had seven suitcases in total, into which they had packed valuables such as jewellery, designer clothing and watches worth about 290,000 euros.
“We have reason to suspect that the funds found in the possession of the suspects do not originate from a lawful source, and that the money was intended to be routed through the legal payment system. The intention was to conceal the true origin of the money. There is also reason to suspect that the acquisition of valuables has been aimed at obscuring the origin of illegal money. The suspects have not been able to disclose the origin of the money or, for example, how the money is related to them,” said investigator in charge Veli Loikkanen.
The preliminary investigation has shown that the suspects have travelled to different parts of Europe and acquired valuables. When they left Paris for their return trip to China, they hid the cash they received among the valuables.
Based on the preliminary investigation, Customs suspect that the persons have acted as part of an organised group whose goal has been to transfer a significant amount of cash outside the European Union.
The transport of cash is not prohibited, but the legislation requires that cash of at least 10,000 euros exported outside the European Union must be declared to the authorities.
A cash declaration must always be submitted in the country where the bearers leave the EU territory.
The required declaration for the sum of money involved in the case had not been submitted to Customs.
During the preliminary investigation, Customs has engaged in international cooperation with Europol and several European countries.
The suspects are Chinese citizens and they are currently in pretrial detention. The cash and valuables are under seizure.
The preliminary investigation is about to complete and the case will be forwarded to the Prosecution District of Southern Finland for consideration of charges at the end of this month.
- Money laundering
- Helsinki Airport
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
