A MOTORIST was caught transporting nearly £270,000 of "suspicious" cash along the M6 in north Cumbria. 

A judge has now approved the forfeiture of the money – consisting entirely of Scottish banknotes – following a successful Cumbria Police application under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

The application at Carlisle’s Rickergate court was not opposed.

A Cumbria Police financial investigator outlined how the motorist involved was stopped by the police at 5.25pm on January 4 as he travelled south along the motorway in a Lexus car near to Southwaite Service Station.

He initially claimed he had travelled from the south of England to Glasgow because he wanted to take a friend for a coffee. A Ukrainian refugee, the man also claimed he regularly travelled to Glasgow to collect donations for people affected by the war.

He then mentioned a possible job offer in Glasgow.

It was established that the man had  been in Glasgow for only a few hours, having driven to the city from the Cambridge area. “He appeared extremely nervous and would not give any further information about his journey,” said the investigator.

Because of his behaviour and lack of forthrightness, the officers decided to search the car and, in the boot, they found a wheeled suitcase.

Inside this was a large amount of cash in Scottish notes – a total of £269,945.

When the money was forensically analysed, the fingerprints of four people were found on it, including those of the defendant. He told police that he had arrived in the UK in November 2023 from Western Ukraine.

He had come to the UK with his wife and son, he said.

During a formal interview, following his arrest on suspicion of money laundering, the man said he had travelled to Scotland to collect parcels that were taken to London. He said he had made numerous such trips.

He claimed he collected parcels containing toiletries, clothing and everyday items which were to be sent back to Ukraine to help those affected by the war. He said he became involved after joining a Ukrainian Facebook page.

On January 4, he had been given a postcode and told to meet somebody there. “When he arrived, it was on a street and a male person approached his vehicle,” said the investigator. “He opened the boot and the person placed some bags in the suitcase.”

He claimed he did not touch the bags.

The investigator said the M6 is a well known transit route for drugs and drug related cash. Nobody had come forward to claim the cash and he believed that it was the proceeds of crime or intended for use in crime.

District Judge John Temperley approved the forfeiture of the cash. The police took no further action over the money laundering allegation.

The money is the latest in a series of high value cash seizures by Cumbria Police. All such forfeited cash is ploughed  back into the fight against crime, usually being divided between the local police force, the Home Office.