Pair who laundered £17m tried to flee UK on flight

Two people who have been jailed after laundering more than £17m in cash tried to flee the UK on the flight to Beijing.

Kexie Liu, 31, and Jiarun Li, 26, were arrested while on bail as they tried to get on the plane at Heathrow, West Midlands Police said.

The pair, of Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham, had earlier been detained in September last year on suspicion of money laundering, after £49,000 in cash was recovered from a vehicle.

Liu, who pleaded guilty to possessing and transferring criminal property, was jailed for four years and nine months at Birmingham Crown Court. Li admitted possession of criminal property and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Liu and Li were arrested again in February this year, after the former tried to make off from officers, but after being detained, searches recovered a further £29,950 in cash, police said.

Further searches were carried out at his home address, where another £20,000 in cash was recovered.

Li was also arrested from the address on Bromsgrove Street.

Searches through phones and handwritten ledgers showed Liu had laundered more than £17m in cash.

Liu and Li pleaded guilty to two counts each.

Det Insp Jon Green, from West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, said they "showed little regard for police action and continued with their offending before attempting to flee the country".

He added: "Cash-based money laundering funds further criminal activity, but my teams are dedicated to disrupting those involved in financial crime and bringing offenders to justice."

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