Three men charged in NCA probe into cash smuggling operation

Three men have been charged following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into an attempt to smuggle millions of pounds out of the UK using lorries.

Azizillo Ugli Azamov, 20, Khalilullokh Omonillaev, 22, and Mukhammadamin Abdurakhmonov, 20 – all Uzbek nationals based in London – appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 8 May, where they were formally charged with money laundering offences.

The NCA launched its investigation on 21 June 2024 after Border Force officers discovered £950,000 hidden in 13 boxes of washing powder in a vehicle at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone.

A second interception took place on 7 July 2024 at Harwich Port, where Border Force seized over £1 million in Scottish banknotes from another vehicle.

Further developments occurred on 7 May 2025, when NCA officers carried out raids at two addresses in west London, recovering almost £500,000 in cash, along with cash-counting machines and vacuum-seal packaging.

Paul Orchard, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, commented:

“Our investigation into the attempted export of millions in criminal cash is progressing rapidly.
Cash is the lifeblood of serious and organised crime, and money laundering plays a crucial role in allowing these networks to profit and reinvest in further illegal activity.”

Source: NCA