Ben Maguire and Tom Orpin-Massey are instructed by CPS London to prosecute seven Chinese nationals accused of money laundering offences, and operating a foreign exchange service without authority.
The conspirators, accused of operating a system of Chinese Underground Banking, are said to have laundered over £52 million of criminal cash in the UK. The group are alleged to have sold sterling obtained from criminal sources to Chinese students to circumvent currency export controls imposed by the Chinese government. The students paid for the sterling by bank transfer in China. The case involves extensive translated WeChat conversations between the conspirators and expert evidence on underground banking /hawala systems. The case is being heard at Snaresbrook Crown Court over a 6 week period.
Benn Maguire
Tom Orpin-Massey