Dubai and the United Arab Emirates have often been seen as countries that are a ‘safe haven’ for fugitives. The laws on extradition have been fairly lax, and criminal gangs have seen these places as less risky jurisdictions in which to launder cash, and conceal the proceeds of crime.

Money laundering with cash in suitcases

In the last few years, millions of dollars and pounds have been flown from the UK to Dubai, taken by so-called ‘money mules’ in suitcases.

At Harewood Law, we represented a client who was arrested with £500,000 found in cash in a suitcase. As it turned out, this was their twelfth trip with suitcases full of cash in the past five months.

The couriers are paid for making the trip, and some see it as easy money and an adventure in the sun. But the reality is more sinister. The cash contained in these suitcases is usually the proceeds of illegal activity, and often linked to illicit drugs.

Money laundering like this fuels the global drugs trade, and other serious crimes like human trafficking, fraud, and ransomware.

Consequences of being caught with cash

If a person is caught with a suitcase full of cash, which is linked to the proceeds of crime, they will often face a custodial sentence. In some circumstances, the sentence will be suspended, but in others the sentence could be a long time behind bars. It depends on the role the person played in the criminal activity.

The client we represented was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and was released under investigation due to being part of a UK wide ongoing investigation.

In other cases, people have been given sentences ranging from 17 months to 24 months in prison.

One person was jailed for more than nine years in July 2022 for offences linked to money laundering, and cash in suitcases heading to Dubai. He was deemed to be the chief organiser of the operation, and his sentence reflected his greater involvement in the illegal activity.  

Extradition agreements between UK and Dubai

Usually, when a criminal is caught, they are likely to be extradited to their own jurisdiction, or back to the UK to face trial and sentencing.

However, criminals see Dubai as a place that is less likely to extradite people when they are charged with a crime. Dubai and the UAE has a reputation for not cooperating with extradition requests from governments of other countries.

That’s because there is often a lack of reciprocity from other countries. The UK is reluctant to extradite people to the UAE if there are human rights issues in play. For example, if there person will be subject to inhumane treatment if they are extradited to the UAE. Given that the UK often refuses extradition requests, the UAE does not feel obliged to comply with the UK’s requests.

The changing landscape

There is an Extradition Treaty between the UK and the UAE, which came into force in 2008. However, it has not been particularly effective.

To make progress in this area, the UK and UAE signed a deal on 16 September 2021 with the aim of working together to tackle the unlawful flow of money that fuels organised crime.

The deal is considered to be a ‘partnership’ and it is political in nature, so it does not affect the law as applied by the courts. But it is a step in the right direction to getting more extradition requests approved in each country. The partnership intends to bolster law enforcement by enhancing intelligence sharing and joint operations between the UK and UAE against serious and organised crime networks.

We could see more people being extradited to and from Dubai as this agreement gathers momentum.

How we can help

As criminal defence solicitors, we represent people accused of serious crimes. If you have been caught up in something similar to these money-laundering rings, it’s best to get legal advice as soon as possible. We can help to protect your rights, and prepare a defence for you.

Contact Harewood Law today.

0333 3448377 | info@harewoodlaw.com