York men flew to Vegas to watch Tyson Fury title fight – but were deported on arrival

Police dealt a knockout blow to the plans of two York men to watch the big boxing match at the weekend.

The men, aged 37 and 18, are currently under investigation by North Yorkshire Police’s Organised Crime Unit.

Despite this, they flew to Las Vegas to see Tyson Fury take on Deontay Wilder in the WBC world heavyweight title fight.

But they didn’t get close to ringside – the US authorities immediately put them on a plane back to Britain.

Money seized

The pair were arrested on suspicion of money laundering at Monks Cross in York on 19 February.

Officers seized a significant amount of cash and other high-value items found in their possession, including from an address in York.

Following questioning they were released under investigation while enquiries continue. This didn’t deter both men from heading to Las Vegas to watch the the big fight.

However, due to effective communication between North Yorkshire Police and US authorities, they were prevented from entering the country.

A further sum of money was seized from the men and they were placed straight back on a flight to the UK.

Great cooperation

Detective Inspector Fi McEwan, of the Organised Crime Unit, said:

• This was a great example of international joint-working when it comes to tackling suspected serious and organised crime.

  While this particular investigation is ongoing and we therefore cannot go into further detail at this stage, it is important to stress the determination of the police and our partner agencies – both in the UK and around the world – to expose offenders to justice and ensure they do not profit from their criminal activities.
  

If you suspect someone is living beyond their means and their life-style is funded by serious and organised crime, please report it to North Yorkshire Police on 101 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.