Crooks tried to smuggle money by stuffing rolls of cash up horses' backsides

Sniffer dogs have uncovered a plot to smuggle cash stuffed up horses’ bottoms, it has been alleged. Several large rolls of notes, worth tens of thousands of pounds, were discovered inside the animals, which were being taken to abattoirs. The horses had been transported from Northern Ireland by ferry when police pounced in the ferry port of Cairnryan, Wigtownshire, on May 1.

Officers also seized cannabis with an estimated street value of almost £500,000 from the lorry the horses were in. A source said: “Some people are saying it brings a new meaning to the phrase dirty money. But it’s no laughing matter, really. The horses were waiting to go through port security when the sniffer dogs started going crazy.

“They were extremely agitated and the driver of the vehicle and his assistant were requested to stand aside while a full check of the vehicle and its occupants was carried out. It took a while, but eventually a large sum of money was recovered. It’s a most unusual case and very cruel and distasteful. But it goes to show the lengths people will go to.”

Officers were alerted to the vehicle by the police dog working on port duty. The animals were scanned by a vet to check if they had been used to conceal any other items. Two men have appeared at Stranraer Sheriff Court on drugs charges. One was remanded in custody and the other bailed.