St. Elizabeth businessman arrested and charged after over US$200,000 in cash reportedly found hidden in soap boxes in his luggage

A St. Elizabeth businessman has been arrested and charged, after authorities reportedly discovered over US$200,000 concealed in his luggage at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James.

34-year-old Shawn Walker was held when he arrived in Jamaica on Sunday June 7 on a United Airlines flight from New Jersey, in the United States.

During routine customs control activities, officers from the Jamaica Customs Agency detected abnormalities in his luggage, which led to further checks and a manual search.

The search reportedly revealed a large quantity of United States currency concealed in 28 sealed boxes of bath soap.

According to the Financial Investigations Division, when the boxes were opened and the cash counted, the total amounted to US$ 270,580.

Walker reportedly produced documents which could not sufficiently prove that the cash had been legally obtained.

Following a question-and-answer session conducted on June 8 by officers from the Constabulary Financial Unit, in the presence of his attorney, Walker was charged with failure to report the transportation of cash into or out of Jamaica, possession of criminal property and concealment of criminal property.

He is scheduled to appear before the St. James Parish Court on Tuesday, June 16 at 10:00 A.M.

In commenting on the matter, Principal Director of Financial Crimes Investigations at the FID, Keith Darien noted that vigilance and inter-agency cooperation are key to fighting financial crime.

Meanwhile, Director of Investigations at the Jamaica Customs Agency, Cassell Dunkley said the seizure emphasises that collaboration is vital to protecting Jamaica’s borders and financial sector.