Cash Cavalcade Busted at Channel Tunnel! Man Nabbed Trying to Smuggle £720,000 Out of UK
£720K Hidden in Secret Van Compartment
Simonas Moise, 49, was caught red-handed attempting to smuggle a staggering £720,000 out of the UK through the Channel Tunnel on June 6, 2023. What looked like an empty van quickly turned into a jackpot for Kent Police when security staff grew suspicious and flagged it for a search.
Officers found 90 bundles of cash stashed in a clever secret compartment tucked inside the van’s side panel. The massive haul blew the case wide open.
Claimed Innocent but Found Guilty of Money Laundering
Arrested at the scene, Moise, who has no fixed address, insisted the money wasn’t dodgy. He told police he was just carrying cash for a contact. But his story fell apart at canterbury/" title="Canterbury" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Canterbury Crown Court, where he was convicted of money laundering.
Detective Constable Gemma Simpson said: “It was clear Moise knew the cash was connected to crime. We’re pleased the jury saw through his lies and justice has been done.”
Cash Confiscated and Recycled into Crime Fighting
The £720,000 has already been seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act at a court hearing in September and won’t be seeing the light of day again for Moise.
The funds will now be handed out to law enforcement, including Kent Police, through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme — helping frontline officers keep cracking down on criminals.
