Essex: 45,000 euros seized at Stansted Airport (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Essex: 45,000 euros seized at Stansted Airport

5:34pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in News

BORDER agency officials seized 45,000 euros from a passenger at Stansted Airport.

Moroccan national Lahoucine Bguiguir, 44, was stopped by officers as he transferred through Stansted Airport on his way to Morocco from Shannon Airport in Ireland on October 8 last year.

The takeaway owner Mr Bguiguir initially told officers the only cash he was carrying was in his wallet, but when his bag was searched five envelopes containing 45,500 euros were discovered.

The money was detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Mr Bguiguir then claimed responsibility for 40,000 euros, with the remainder claimed by fellow Moroccan national Ali Souih, Mr Bguiguir’s business partner in the takeaway.

At a Chelmsford Magistrates Court hearing on Wedneday **aug 1** Mr Bguiguir claimed his money was cash earnings that he had saved over six years, but magistrates dismissed his account.

Peter Avery, of Border Force, said: “It was clear that Mr Bguiguir was attempting to remove the money from Ireland in a bid to evade tax.

“If not for the vigilance of our officers at Stansted he would have successfully transferred the cash to Morocco, leaving the Irish authorities none the wiser.

“Thanks to our actions Mr Bguiguir and Mr Souih have been forced to resubmit tax returns and disclose these additional earning to the Irish tax authorities.

“Border Force has a responsibility to investigate cash in excess of £1,000 when we have reasonable grounds to suspect that it is linked to any criminal enterprise and bring this before the court.

“Working with other law enforcement bodies, the UK is now at the forefront of the world-wide crackdown on criminal finances recovering over £1billion since POCA was introduced.”