Crime group members smuggled nearly £30million of cash out of the UK to the UAE

A West Yorkshire man who was a member of a crime group which smuggled almost £30million of cash out of the UK to the United Arab Emirates hidden in suitcases has been jailed.

The group moved the money via Dubai-bound Emirates flights leaving from Manchester, Birmingham and Brussels airports between December 2017 and November 2019.

Couriers smuggled the cash in up to five suitcases at a time, sometimes helped by Emirates check-in attendant Emma Rauf, who worked at Manchester Airport.

The money laundering arrangement worked by network members collecting cash from criminal groups around northern England.

The couriers would pack hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash at a time concealed in clothes in suitcases. They were put up in expensive Dubai hotels and had meals and visits to expensive nightclubs and beach clubs paid for.

Rauf (nee Royle), 34, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, and her 32-year-old brother Ben Royle, from London, were also involved in the money laundering arrangement.

The plan began to fall apart after £788,455 in cash was seized at UK airports over three separate dates, prompting the NCA’s investigation.

Investigators found that Sophie Logan, 31, who had been living in Dubai but formerly of Derby, flew to and from Dubai 38 times over a two-year period, declared cash totalling £3.9million on arrival in Dubai on 14 occasions.

Devanyl Graham, 27, from Dewsbury, flew to Dubai 18 times, declaring a total of £4million in cash on arrival.

Heather Jeffrey, 58, her son Sheldan Noel, 30, and daughter Lamara Noel, 34, all from Bradford, collected cash from organised crime groups and flew it to Dubai. They smuggled out £5million over 10 trips, £5.4million over 10 trips and £2.5million over 10 trips respectively.

Ben Royle, of London, recruited friend Sheikh Jobe, 33, from Manchester, to fly £306,040 in cash from Manchester Airport in October 2018. However, the cash was detected in Jobe’s luggage after he had checked it in, resulting in his arrest and the money being seized.

Each defendant was charged with a single count of entering into or becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement between December 14, 2017 and November 15, 2019, contrary to section 328(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court convicted Graham, Sheldan Noel, Lamara Noel, Jeffrey and Logan on June 4 this year following a 12-week trial.

Rauf changed her plea to guilty on March 23, with Royle and Jobe pleading guilty at hearings before the trial started.

At the same court on Friday, October 2, Logan was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment, Jeffrey to six-and-a-half years, Graham to six years, Lamara Noel to five years and Royle to four years and three months.

Jobe was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours community service. He was also given a three-month curfew.

Rauf and Sheldan Noel are due to be sentenced at a later date.

The alleged organiser, who is awaiting extradition to the UK, cannot be named for legal reasons.

NCA branch commander Jon Hughes said: “This crime group smuggled enormous quantities of cash, to remove it from the attention of law enforcement.

“Illicit cash is the lifeblood of organised crime groups, fuelling violence and insecurity around the world.

“This is why disrupting its supply is a priority for the NCA and our partners, hitting crime groups in the pocket where it hurts the most.”