Jan.15, 2010

A 35-year-old Hunslet man has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering as part of an investigation involving the City and Holbeck Proceeds of Crime Team and the Holbeck Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).

Police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) from the NPT entered the unemployed man's home yesterday afternoon using a warrant obtained under the Theft Act, as part of an investigation into handling stolen goods.

Inside the property officers found a large number of high-quality electrical goods including a plasma television, stereo system, laptops and computer equipment, and kitchen items, worth thousands of pounds. The man was also found to have £5,200 in cash in his coat pocket.

The man was able to produce receipts for the items, but these were all paid for in cash and he is believed to have been unemployed for a number of years.

He was arrested on suspicion of money laundering, and after being interviewed he was bailed pending further enquiries.

The cash has been seized by the Proceeds of Crime Team, who will now carry out an investigation into the man's lifestyle to determine how he has acquired his assets without a declared income.

If it can be proved that these assets have been acquired through criminality, the Team can then apply to confiscate them under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.