€ 8.5 million drug money confiscated

antwerp - A 54-year-old woman from Belgium have five years in jail, because she was the hub of a network that money from a South American drug cartel laundered. The court in Antwerp has confiscated almost 8.5 million.

The woman was arrested last summer with her husband when they came back from the Netherlands with a suitcase full of money. Police found more than 500 000 vacuum-packed in the car. In the home of the couple was still observed another almost 250 000 euro and 3,000 Hong Kong dollars.

The woman was found to be involved in a large money-laundering operation. She went regularly with her husband or brother to the Netherlands to collect drug money. Couriers brought it then to Hong Kong and from there the money flowed to South America.

The Belgian was able to steer the money grab by the airport controls by vacuum packaging and wrapped in carbon paper. the woman had coordinated nineteen CIT between April and June last year. There were almost 8.5 million involved.

The woman stood Wednesday along with her husband and brother to court. Those two have five years and three years in prison.