Scottish university student accused of £300,000 money laundering scheme

A University of Stirling student is to face trial accused of laundering nearly £300,000 in connection with serious organised crime.

Xiaotang Huang is accused of “concealing, disguising, converting and transferring” criminal property within the meaning of the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act – namely the sum of £288,930.

Huang, 28, faces an indictment which alleges she paid criminal cash into her bank account, including cash received from an individual named as Wai Ma, and transferred sums across other bank accounts of hers, into accounts in other names, and used it to purchase “high value luxury items” and to pay university tuition and accommodation fees.

The transactions are alleged to have been made between June 21, 2019 and April 6, 2021 at the Post Office counter in WH Smith in the Thistle Centre, Stirling; at the Santander Bank in Port Street, Stirling, and elsewhere.

The indictment alleges that “it will be proved” that the offence was aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.

Huang faces a second charge of laundering £3500 criminal cash by paying it into her bank account via the same Post Office counter on April 6, 2021.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court, Huang, who address was given as the Centro House student halls in Wellgreen Place, Stirling, pleaded not guilty to both charges against her.

The court heard that Huang was a student at the University of Stirling and understood sufficient English for the purposes of tendering a plea, but a Chinese interpreter would be required for the trial.

Sheriff Craig Harris set trial, before a jury, for February 27 next year.

He continued bail, and also ordered Huang to appear at a pre-trial hearing on January 11.