A NORTH bank was used by a money-laundering crime gang.
The gang's four members, jailed by Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday, laundered nearly £6m over three years.
The cash, usually in bundles of between £20,000 and £30,000, was deposited at the HSBC bank in Yarm, on Teesside, and branches in London and Nottingham.
The money was directly linked to lorry-loads of imported tobacco brought into the UK from Eastern Europe.
The heist was unearthed by the National Crime Squad, who said their investigation was one of the most complex cases ever investigated.
Rolandas Sakavickas, from Lithuania, was jailed for seven years, Brian Eddishaw, from Leicestershire, was sentenced to 18 months, Stephen Reichwald, from London, was jailed for six years and accomplice Michael Roden, from Nottingham, imprisoned for 18 months. All had been charged with conspiracy to launder money.
A Lithuanian woman was found not guilty.
Cleveland Police last night confirmed the force had worked with the National Crime Squad.
Commenting on the sentences, Detective Chief Inspector Terry Burke, of the National Crime Squad's Money Laundering Investigation Team, said; "We are pleased with today's result and hope that this sends out a message to others either committing similar offences or contemplating this type of crime."
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