How Emirates Miles Foiled A $120 Million Money Laundering Ring Of Business Class Couriers

Simple Flying

By Justin Foster

Published Jan 15, 2024

The ringleader had a habit of racking up Emirates Skymiles which helped investigators to track unlawful activity.

Photo: Emirates

A money laundering network in the UK was cracked, leading to the conviction of several people and the unraveling of the network.
The network used couriers who posed as tourists to smuggle large amounts of cash out of the UK, earning up to £5,000 per trip.
The ringleader of the network booked all the flights and earned first-class trips for himself but was eventually found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to nine years in prison.