A 21-year-old New South Wales man faced Perth Magistrates Court on 22 February 2025 after Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers uncovered more than $1.1 million in cash inside an abandoned suitcase at Perth Airport, triggering an interstate money laundering probe.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Chwal said the operation had disrupted a significant money laundering scheme.
“Anyone with large amounts of undeclared cash can be put before the courts to explain the source of that wealth.”
The man, from North Rocks, was arrested in Sydney on 20 February before being extradited to Perth yesterday (21 February). He has been charged with dealing with money suspected to be the proceeds of general crime worth $1 million or more, under section 400.3(2A) of the Criminal Code (Cth). If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison.
The investigation began on 17 February when the man attempted to pay an excess baggage fee at Perth Airport using a credit card that did not match the name on his boarding pass. Airline staff refused the transaction and cancelled his flight booking. Instead of retrieving his suitcase, the man allegedly left the terminal and later boarded a different flight to Sydney.
Airport staff alerted the AFP to the abandoned suitcase, prompting officers to inspect it with a currency, firearm, and drug-detection dog. The dog signalled suspicion, leading officers to open the suitcase, where they discovered $1,102,440 in cash wrapped in plastic bundles.
AFP officers later raided the man’s Sydney home on 19 February, seizing electronic devices and clothing for forensic analysis.
The AFP’s investigation into the origins of the cash remains ongoing.
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