Two people jailed for a combined total of four-and-a-half years as part of a money laundering investigation in Portsmouth.

A man and a woman have been jailed for a combined total of four-and-a-half years for their involvement in a money laundering operation in Portsmouth, following a lengthy investigation by the Eastern Area Crime Team assisted by the Financial Investigation Unit

The investigation began in September 2021, when officers began suspecting an address on Powerscourt Road in Portsmouth to be involved in facilitating illegal activities related to prostitution. Following a number of enquiries, including warrants executed in Portsmouth in November 2021 and an arrest in Sunderland in February 2022. a detailed financial investigation was launched into the occupants’ bank records. This revealed large sums of money, believed to have been obtained through prostitution and criminal activity, was being moved between their accounts, third parties and contacts in China.

Wan Si Kam, aged 56, of Hylton Street in Sunderland and Clive Porter, aged 62, of Powerscourt Road in Copner appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 5 October 2023 and were found guilty of acquiring, using or possessing criminal property.

The court heard that bank account analysis was conducted which showed that between May 2020 and December 2021, Porter received cash credits of £51,715 from an unknown source and third party credits of £7,006, neither of which had been declared to HMRC.

Porter also received £4,150.00 from another third party and made payments to that person of £55,437.63.

Within this period, Porter sent £31,200 to a contact in China.

Wan Si Kam received £71,874 from an unknown source and sent this to a third party, who then sent this to an unknown contact in China.

After tracking a complex trail of banking and payment activities, a number of people were arrested and Porter and Kam were subsequently charged.

They appeared for sentencing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 12 April, where Kam received three years imprisonment and Porter received 18 months.

Police Staff Investigator Mark Humble from the Eastern Area Crime Team said, “This has been a gratifying end to a long running, detailed communications and financial investigation that has lasted more than three years.

“Investigations into these types of offences are incredibly complex, but through dedicated police enquiries as part of our commitment to relentlessly pursue criminals, Kam and Porter are facing justice for their actions and this criminal operation was successfully dismantled”.