06/14/2024
Sheriff Campbell stated that during the third week of May 2024,the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Interstate Criminal Enforcement (ICE) Team seized over $420,000.00 in illicit United States Currency.
On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Interstate Criminal Enforcement Deputies conducted traffic stops involving three Chinese nationals and discovered each of them to be in possession of a large amount of cash.
When questioned by the deputies about the money, each occupant denied knowing how the money got there, and no one claimed ownership of the currency. As the investigation continued, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigators questioned the men, and later, Special Agents with the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were called to further the investigations. This investigation is currently ongoing.
During the investigations into the origin of the money, it wasconfirmed that the money located inside the vehicles was, in fact, proceeds of illegal narcotics crimes and other criminal activity within the United States.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office has the second-oldest Criminal Interdiction Team in North Carolina. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Interstate Criminal Enforcement Team Deputies receive extensive training on drug and currency smuggling techniques and how to locate hidden compartments in vehicles. These deputies have traveled extensively across the state and the southeast, teaching these techniques to other law enforcement agencies. They often collaborate with other state and federal law enforcement agencies once arrests have been made here in Iredell County.
Sheriff Campbell also stated, “This investigation is a reminder of the ongoing, proactive efforts being made by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office to combat drug and currency smuggling through Iredell County, and it is a glaring reminder of how the proceeds of illegal activity travel our interstates almost daily.”
