Chesterfield man jailed for part in money laundering gang

In November last year National Crime Agency surveillance officers watched Yongheng Jin, a French national, from Manchester, meet with Marsel Meco, an Albanian national, from Chelsea, in the car park of a hotel in north London. From the boot of a car the men removed a large black suitcase.

Officers stopped Jin as he entered the hotel with the suitcase and found that it contained approximately £420,000. In Jin’s hotel room, officers recovered a number of items associated with money laundering including a cash counting machine, bundles of cash, a UV counterfeit money detector, scales, rubber bands, cash bags, numerous pieces of paper recording large numbers, bank cards, and multiple mobile phones.

During the search another man, Luis Martos Gardner, a Spanish national, of Cragside Close, Chesterfield, knocked at the door. Suspecting he may be involved, officers arrested him and when they searched his car they recovered over £340,000 split into several bags. They also discovered several mobile phones and a pocket diary which contained multiple bank notes of differing currency.

After gathering further evidence, officers arrested Xiaoqun Tu, a German national and wife of Yongheng Jin, at their home in Sale, Manchester, in March 2017. They recovered mobile phones, a laptop and more cash.

All four pleaded guilty to money laundering offences at Kingston Crown Court and were sentenced to a total of 11 years 10 months imprisonment.

Kevin Gee, of the NCA, said: “Money laundering props up organised crime. It helps criminals hide their profits, spend those profits, and bankroll further crime.

“By targeting money launderers the NCA can be a real thorn in the side of organised criminals and cause major disruption to their plans.”

Gardner was jailed for 40 months.

Jin was jailed for 40 months.

Meco was jailed for 20 months.

Tu was jailed for 42 months.