A BRITISH man who hid more than �44,000 in his luggage and tried to smuggle it out of Stansted Airport has had the money confiscated.

Erdogan Adanir, 44, who was stopped by the UK Border Agency in July, was told by Ipswich magistrates last Tuesday that he would lose the �44,101.24 that was discovered on him.

Adanir, of Vauxhall Street, London, was stopped as he attempted to board a flight to Gaziantep in Turkey.

Searches found the cash distributed within his hand and hold luggage. In an attempt to evade detection he had wrapped the money in tin foil bundles.

At the time, Adanir insisted all the money was his but offered no explanation as to how he had come by such a large amount and it was detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Adanir later claimed he had borrowed the money from 10 of his friends and family members to invest in property in Turkey.

However, the court judged that Adanir’s friends and family had invented the loans in a misguided attempt to support him.

As well as the cash forfeiture, the court ruled that Adanir and the 10 people supposed to have loaned him the money must also pay costs of �11,167.

Senior Investigating Officer John Chelchowski, from the UK Border Agency’s criminal and financial investigations team, said: “UK Border Agency officers are working hard at all our ports to prevent drugs, contraband or the potential proceeds of crime from entering or leaving the UK.

“Where we suspect that cash may be linked with criminal activity, we have the power to seize it. If, as in this case, the individual concerned is unable to provide evidence of the source and intended use of the money the cash will be forfeited.”

Anyone leaving the UK with more than �1000 in cash must provide evidence for the source and intended use of the money or face having it detained.