POLICE seized a bundle of illegal cash from a suspected money launderer after car accident in a supermarket car park.
Officers on patrol in Acocks Green on Saturday, January 9, were approached by a woman who’d taken a photo of the careless driver.
They continued their rounds and stopped the suspect minutes later after spotting him behind the wheel of a damaged car near Fox Hollies Road.
He failed to provide identification and, suspecting he may have been in the country illegally, made checks at his home address in Solihull where they uncovered a bag containing around £25,000 in cash.
Police seized the money while financial investigators in the Economic Crime Unit conduct enquiries.
West Midlands Police say if the man can’t prove he’s come about the money legally they’ll look to permanently seize it under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
A 25-year-old man has been charged with possessing an offensive weapon – it’s alleged he was carrying a lock knife in his pocket – and is due to appear in Birmingham Magistrates Court on 28 January.
Officers will also be passing details across to immigration officials who will look into his status in the UK.
