Tasked with “washing” $500 million if he wants to save his family, Marty has to find ways to wash the money fast. From buying hamburger meat to building and running a casino, Marty’s money laundering ways are nothing short of creative.

If you’re a Breaking Bad fan, you’ll probably remember that money laundering was a problem for Heisenberg and Jessie too. One which they solved with a nice “cash-heavy” business – a car wash. But it’s not just fictional characters that have to get creative with their cash. Real-life criminals do too…

As freight forwarders, we get to hear a lot of stories about people trying to smuggle things into and out of the country. From banned books and “adult” teapots to cocaine, heroin and cold, hard cash. 

One of my freight forwarding buddies recently shared a story with me about an incident he had a few years ago in the Netherlands. It was a road freight export. Supposedly a lorry engine. But customs appeared to know better… It wasn’t long before the freight truck was pulled over and the vehicle searched. It turned out the cargo – the “lorry engine” – was actually stuffed full of cash! The dosh was seized and the criminals will have been left wondering where their payday went. 

Now, I’m no fan of drug dealers, thieves and smugglers, but I think when it comes to creativity you’ve got to give them their dues! They sure are creative! 

Have you got any smuggling stories? Any tales to tell of ingenious ways to move dirty cash or banned goods? I’d love to hear them…