'Expendable' cash mule who ferried $1.2m across state lines avoids jail
An alcoholic gambling addict was an “expendable” cash mule who would fly to Queensland and drive back with suitcases full of money, a court has heard.
A former Chinese national was introduced to gambling and alcohol in his mid 30s before spiralling out of control to the point he became a “cash mule” to ferry huge amounts of money interstate.
Yanzhou Zhu, 41, of Gordon, faced Gosford District Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to one count of dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
It came after Zhu was caught with more than $1.2m cash in a hire car on the Pacific Highway at Warnervale last year.
An agreed set of facts states Zhu had on several occasions taken one-way flights between Sydney and Brisbane.
Once in Brisbane, he would rent a car and drive back to Sydney before returning the vehicle to a local hire car branch.
On May 6 last year, Zhu boarded a one-way flight to Brisbane from Sydney and was seen on CCTV carrying a large hard-bodied suitcase.
After landing, he rented a Toyota RAV at the airport and began driving south into NSW, before checking into a hotel at Coffs Harbour.
The next morning police began surveilling Zhu at Morisset at 11am and followed him until just before 1.30pm, when he was pulled over at Warnervale.
During a search of the car police found a large coloured hard-bodied suitcase, a duffel bag and several reusable grocery bags containing large quantities of Australian currency, mostly bundled in $50 notes.
All up the cash totalled $1,282,765.
Judge David Barrow said Zhu’s role was effectively a “running mule” and while his employers had a level of trust in him, he was the one engaged in the “high risk activity”.
“He was expendable,” Judge Barrow said.
The court heard Zhu immigrated to Australia aged 17 and married young, while studying at Macquarie University before that relationship ended.
He returned to China for a few years where he married again but that relationship ended when she refused to join him back in Australia.
He married his third wife, who the court heard introduced him to gambling and he began drinking in his mid 30s.
Judge Barrow said Zhu spiralled into alcohol and gambling addiction and agreed to run large amounts of ill-gotten cash interstate to pay off debts.
“This was not an isolated incident,” he said.
He convicted Zhu and sentenced him to a 14-month intensive correction order with 100 hours of community service.
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Originally published as 'Expendable' cash mule who ferried $1.2m across state lines avoids jail
