Men charged in 'plot to smuggle laundered cash out of UK in washing powder boxes'

Three men have been charged with money laundering over an alleged plot to smuggle millions in cash out of the UK hidden inside boxes of washing powder.

Azizillo Ugli Azamov, 20, Khalilullokh Omonillaev, 22, and Mukhammadamin Abdurakhmonov, 20, were charged following an investigation by the National Crime Agency.

The agency said the charges follow an investigation into attempts to smuggle millions of pounds out of the UK in lorries. On June 21 last year, Border Force agents seized £950,000 from a vehicle at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone.

The cash had been hidden inside 13 boxes of washing powder, it is said. Two weeks later, a second vehicle was stopped at Harwich Port, with officers seizing more than a million pounds in Scottish banknotes.

The NCA said its investigation led to raids on Wednesday at two west London properties, and the seizure of nearly £500,000 in cash as well as money counting machines and vacuum-seal packs.

When announcing the charges, the NCA also released an image of one of the Asda washing powder boxes involved in the alleged plot, as well as stacks of seized cash.

Azamov, Omonillaev, and Abdurakhmonov, who are all nationals of Uzbekistan, appeared at Uxbridge magistrates court on Thursday to face the charge of money laundering.

Azamov, of Leithcote Gardens in Streatham, and Abdurakhmonov, of Colbeck Mews, South Kensington, were both remanded in custody until a hearing at Isleworth crown court on June 5.

Omonillaev, also of Colbeck Mews, South Kensington, was due to appear at the magistrates court again on Friday, with the aid of an interpreter.

Cash was seized from lorries, the NCA said (NCA)

None of the defendants have entered a plea to the money laundering charge, which dates June last year and May 7 this year and relates to £270,000 in cash.

They have all been remanded in custody.

“Our investigation into the attempted exportation of millions of pounds in cash continues at pace”, said Paul Orchard, NCA senior investigating officer.

“Cash is the lifeblood of serious and organised crime, and money laundering is an essential service that enables organised criminals to profit and invest in further criminality.”