A BUSINESSMAN who was stopped by police on the motorway had £100,000 in carrier bags in his boot.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court heard how Mohammed Khalid was driving a Audi Southbound at Staffordshire on October 2 2014 when police stopped him.

His daughter was in the car with him and, when officers looked in the boot, they discovered a Next carrier bag.

Inside the carrier was a gift bag which contained an Aldi carrier which, in turn, held two other knotted carrier bags containing cash in £1,000 bundles held together with elastic bands. “When that was counted it came to £100,000,” said Adrian Farrow, prosecuting.

A subsequent search of Khalid’s home in Manchester Road, Bury, revealed a further £15,000 in £1,000 bundles in a rear bedroom wardrobe and, in a wardrobe drawer in a front bedroom, was £100 plus 1,900 Euros.

When interviewed by police Khalid said he had been travelling towards Birmingham but refused to say where the money had come from, what it was for and where he was going when he arrived at the city.

The court heard that Khalid, who runs a Manchester-based company called Liberty Distributors Ltd, deals over eBay in items such as watches and computers.

But Mr Farrow said that the company only has a “modest” turnover providing Khalid, in 2013, with an income of £10,083 and £6,900 in 2014.

Business and personal bank accounts were both overdrawn. Mr Farrow said the business finances did not suggest that the money found in the boot and at Khalid’s home had come from the company. It is wholly inconsistent with this being legitimate money,” he said.

He added that the money in the bags was still visible through the wrappings and so he questioned why the cash was in so many different bags. Putting matters bluntly, the prosecution say that, when you weigh up all the circumstances, you will come to the conclusion that this was dirty money.”

Mr Farrow told the jury: "Whether this was the proceeds of criminal activity on Mr Khalid, or someone else’s part, it was undoubtedly criminal property.”

Giving evidence in his defence, Khalid said the £100,000 in his car belonged to him and his friends and was to be used to complete a couple of deals that day to buy laptops and fireworks.

His wife also gave evidence, claiming the Euros found in the drawer belonged to her. Khalid has pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing criminal property. The trial continues.