Almost $1 million in illegal cash found in a car boot in Perth will go to funding community programs after being confiscated by police.
The Australian Federal Police made the discovery when they intercepted a car at City Beach in October 2022 as part of a money laundering investigation.
In the boot, officers found two vacuum-sealed plastic bags containing bundles of cash worth $998,850.
The man behind the wheel, now 35, was working as a courier for criminal groups attempting to launder large amounts of money generated from criminal activities.
After seizing the cash, police soon discovered it grossly exceeded the man's observed income and expenditure.
He pleaded guilty to recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison in the Perth District Court in August.
The AFP-led Criminal Asset Confiscation Taskforce successfully applied to the WA courts to have the cash forfeited to the Commonwealth.
AFP Detective Inspector John Whitehead said money laundering was a major enabler of organised crime and drug trafficking.
"Removing the profit from crime is key to disrupting organised criminal activity and deliver maximum damage to the criminal environment," Insp Whitehead said.
The confiscated funds will be distributed to crime prevention, intervention or diversion programs or other law enforcement initiatives across Australia.
