Shock cash discovery in supermarket bag
WA Police have arrested and charged a 36-year-old man after allegedly seizing $1.8m from his car boot.
Officers from the Transnational and Serious Organised Crime Squad allege that the man hired a vehicle in Perth on Thursday and was undergoing a getaway journey to the eastern states.
He was stopped by police at Southern Cross, a town 371km east of Perth, at 2.20pm on the same day.
A search of the vehicle located a large suitcase in the boot of the vehicle and
a duffel bag containing $1.8m of cash inside the suitcase.
He was taken to Perth and charged with property laundering, an offence that Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Carter described as “the highest charge in relation to money offences.”
The man is “highly likely” to be charged with other offences and there’s also a high chance that others will be identified and also charged.
Sergeant Carter said the origins of the cash are under investigation.
“Obviously, the inference that it’s coming from organised crime activity in WA is something we’re pursuing in terms of our investigative actions,” he said.
“I can’t comment any further about that at the moment, but it is something we’re definitely looking at.”
Police say they were made aware of the man, who is from the eastern states, due to a joint investigation with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
“We were privy to some information which resulted us affecting that stop with the Southern Cross police,” Sergeant Carter said.
The man charged wil face Perth Magistrates Court on June 16.
