£200k cash in car find ‘for curry’, court told

A man facing money laundering charges after £200,000 was seized from his car at Belfast Harbour said the cash was from a business deal for chicken fillets and curry powder, a court heard yesterday.

Yiguang Liu also claimed a further £50,000 had been lodged at Post Office branches to purchase Nike trainers online.

The 41-year-old, of Cassels Street in Carluke, Scotland, was arrested during a PSNI operation in the docks area in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court charged with possessing, concealing and transferring criminal property.

Police said Liu arrived on a ferry from Cairnryan on December 29 and was booked to return home on a sailing later the same day.

Searches of his car uncovered £200,000 in cash packaged inside a hair dryer box, tins and plastic bags.

Officers found receipts for more than £50,000 in lodgments made at Post Office branches in Belfast and Glasgow between July and December, a detective said.

Four phones were also seized and are being examined by the PSNI’S Cyber Crime unit. During interviews Liu said the money included sums he either borrowed or brought with him.

He claimed the main reason for his trip was to meet the boss at a Chinese wholesaler who gave him £140,000 to take back to England for business.

The detective said: “He stated that he was a middleman between Belfast and Manchester in the supply of chicken fillets and curry powder.

“He was asked why a Citroen Picasso was going to bring over curry powder to a wholesaler in Belfast, and he stated that (there had been) a shortage.”

On previous trips, according to police, Liu had deposited thousands of pounds at separate Post Office branches within a half hour period.

Opposing bail, she told the court: “Police believe it is money laundering.”

District Judge Steven Keown heard Liu is a father-of-three with no criminal record. Defence barrister Luke Curran submitted: “At the height of the prosecution case he is a runner, effectively a form of mule.”

Counsel argued that his client was now on the police radar and “entirely useless” to any criminal gang he was allegedly involved with.

Bail was refused due to the risks of flight and interference with the police investigation into the alleged operation.

He will appear again via video-link on January 28.