'Money laundering' couple caught receiving bag filled with £150,000 in cash on street corner

A 'money laundering' couple were caught receiving a bag filled with £150,000 in cash on a street corner in Tameside. Police spotted Hua Chen passing the carrier bag full of money to Jie Chen and Mei Huang in Ashton-under-Lyne.

When officers followed Hua Chen home, they found a further £220,000 on his bedroom floor. At Manchester Crown Court today (Friday), a judge heard the trio were part of a 'sophisticated' money laundering scheme.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin jailed Hua Chen, 40, and Jie Chen, 39, for three years and two years respectively. However, Mei Huang, 34, was spared jail due to what the judge described as her 'exceptional circumstances'.

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The court heard that the defendants had arranged to meet on a street corner near to Hua Chen's home back in December 2019. During the rendezvous, Hua Chen handed £150,000 in cash over to Jie Chen.

But as Hua Chen returned home, officers followed him and found a further £220,000 on his bedroom floor. After leaving the meeting, Jie Chen and his wife jumped in a taxi to Manchester city centre.

The vehicle was stopped by HMRC officers, who found the bag at Jie Chen's feet. Officers also seized keys to an apartment in Whitworth Street West where they discovered a cash counting machine under the bed, as well as elastic bands, bank cash wraps and a small number of torn banknotes.

In total, £370,000 cash was seized. Hua Chen's role in the operation was as a 'go-between' for the money while Jie Chen and Mei Huang were 'couriers entrusted to move the money on to the ultimate destination', the court heard.

Ben Lawrence, prosecuting, described the transactions as 'sophisticated' and said they