It was the armrest screws that alerted the customs officers… While they were checking a Jeep Cherokee driving between the A31 in the Luxembourg-Metz directionthis Thursday, March 17, they realize that the screws of the central armrest, which seem new, are not all identical… Intrigued, they decide to dismantle this part of the vehicle and discover the first wads of banknotes.
850,000 euros hidden in the car
The investigators are not at the end of their surprise since they also find a magnet near the dashboard and a system of cables which make it possible to unlock an electromagnet, to access another cache, under the armrest, which contains other bundles (20 euro banknotes). The search continues in the rear doors, again with caches full of banknotes.
The driver, of Chinese nationality, affirms that he comes from Belgium and that he returns to Italy, where he lives. On board, he carried 850,000 euros in 10 and 20 euro notesor 17 times the price of his car!
A fine of more than one million euros
Arrested and tried in immediate appearance, the driver of the Jeep was sentenced to 8 months in prison and a fine of 1.3 million euros. His vehicle and his loot were seized and he no longer has the right to return to French territory for two years.
In a press release, Customs specifies that it intercepted last year: “77.4 million euros for breach of the reporting obligation and money laundering”. A figure up 30%.