A 33-year-old New South Wales man has been jailed after Australian Federal Police located almost $188,000 in a bag at the Gold Coast Airport in January 2019.
Officers were conducting routine patrols of the airport on 7 January when they stopped the man as he attempted to travel on a flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne under a false name.
During a subsequent search of the luggage being carried by the man police located a large quantity of cash totalling $187, 980 in Australian currency.
The man was subsequently charged with:
- One count of travel under a false name, contrary to s376.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)
- One count of dealing in proceeds of crime, contrary to s400.9(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)
He appeared in Southport District Court on 10 December, where he was sentenced to twelve months in custody, to be released after four months and placed on a good behaviour bond for two years in relation to the offence of dealing in the proceeds of crime.
The court ordered the forfeiture of the funds under section 48 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cth).
The funds will be available to be used by the Commonwealth Government to benefit the community through crime prevention, intervention or diversion programs, or other law enforcement initiatives.
