Cash forfeiture order success for National Crime Agency

The money – believed to be the profits of organised crime in Ireland – was found inside a suitcase belonging to 45-year-old Harm Stachouwer.

He was stopped by Border Force officers at the Channel Tunnel on 25 February 2019 as he was about to drive onto a Eurotunnel train.

When questioned, Mr Stachouwer said he had been on a business trip to Dublin, and was going to visit his parents in The Netherlands before returning home to Andorra.

He claimed to work in the medical industry, and said he was the chairman of an organisation that sold radiation equipment to treat cancer.

Mr Stachouwer directed officers to a suitcase in the boot, and said there was €400-500,000 in it. He said they were his savings and that he could prove where the cash had come from.

The case contained two large heat-sealed bags, which NCA officers believe was to avoid the attention of cash detector dogs. The bags were marked as “Swedish Twisted Fire Lighters”.

One contained three cardboard boxes filled with unbundled €20 notes while the other bag contained two cardboard boxes full of €50 notes. There was a total of €559,705 inside the suitcase.

Mr Stachouwer was given the opportunity to provide evidence of the source of the money but was unable to, so the NCA started civil proceedings that resulted in Maidstone Magistrates’ Court confirming the forfeiture on Thursday. Mr Stachouwer did not contest the seizure.

“The use of civil powers allows us to target suspected criminal cash, and crucially deprives organised crime groups of their profits. This money can no longer be used to reinvest in more offending,” NCA branch commander Mark Howes said.