A man who allegedly attempted to fly from Hobart to Sydney with over $150,000 in cash hidden inside his luggage has been arrested and charged.
The 38-year-old Sydney man and former Olympian, Luke Christopher Jackson, was allegedly found with the ‘substantial amount of money’ concealed in his checked bag during a routine baggage check on Thursday morning by Tasmanian and Australian Federal Police.
The AFP allege the cash was found “hidden inside a green supermarket shopping bag” within his luggage, with “another bundle of cash” found within the lining of the bag.
AFP officers arrested Jackson within the terminal after he was “unable to provide sufficient information regarding why he was travelling with the significant amount of money”.
The money is believed to be the proceeds of criminal activities.
Jackson has been charged with one count of dealing with property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of a crime, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.
He appeared before the Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon and was bailed to reappear next month.
AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said the AFP worked closely with Tasmania Police and Hobart Airport to ensure domestic and international flights were not used as transit routes for criminal and illicit activities.
“The AFP, together with Tasmania Police and our law enforcement partners across Australia, will continue to keep a watchful eye across our airports and borders,” Det Sergeant Hardcastle said.
“We will continue to ensure all airports remain a hostile environment for criminal syndicates to prevent their illicit activities.
“This arrest should serve as a serious warning to anyone attempting to travel across our country with large and suspicious amounts of cash – the AFP will target and identify you, seizing your alleged illicit wealth and bring you to justice.”
Commander Ian Whish-Wilson from Tasmania Police’s Crime and Intelligence Command said police conduct ongoing screening at air and sea ports to make these entry and exit points as hostile as possible for any criminal activity.
“We’ll continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure criminals aren’t profiting from illegal activity in Tasmania,” Commander Whish-Wilson said.
