Four jailed for trying to launder £24k

Four men, from the UK, Lithuania, Holland and Germany, have been nabbed for money-laundering after a secret operation by Kent Police.

Undercover officers had staked out the Holiday Inn in Maidstone Road, Hothfield, in May this year.

Prosecutor Don Ramble told Canterbury Crown Court told how an Audi A6 arrived driven by Nathan Ahluwalia from north London.

He was met by three other men who were seen looking at the boot of the car – unaware they were being watched.

He prosecutor said an hour later, German Musa Turkyilmaz, wearing a blue jacket was then spotted clutching an orange Sainsbury’s carrier bag.

He was then seen talking to, Lithuanian Vytautas Zigmantavicius, who left the car park on foot and turned right on the A20 heading towards Ashford.

Mr Ramble said: “The two men were followed by officers and police saw Turkyilmaz hand Zigmantavicius the orange Sainsbury’s carrier bag before they went in different directions.”

The court heard when officers arrested them they discovered just over £24,000 in the bag.

Ahluwalia was arrested later after driving the Audi to the Ashford Designer Outlet to buy a pair of trousers.

All four admitted money laundering, Ahluwalia, 34, and Zigmantavicius, 42, were each jailed for 10 months and Turkyilmaz, 34, and Lutfu Oncirak, 44, from the Netherlands, were each jailed for eight months.

Judge Simon James ordered all the cash found on the four to be seized.