Joe Calzaghe's ex-girlfriend tells 'smuggling ring' trial she was nervous about ... trends now
The ex-girlfriend of boxer Joe Calzaghe said she was only nervous about flying out millions of pounds in cash to Dubai because she thought she was working for the UAE Embassy.
Jo-Emma Larvin, 44, is accused of becoming part of a £100m smuggling ring when she was recruited as a 'courier' to carry suitcases stuffed full of cash.
The former glamour model insists she had no idea what she was doing was wrong and had been told she was working for the United Arab Emirates.
Larvin, along with her partner Jonathan Johnson, 55, Liam Rabone, 29, Amy Harrison, 27 and Beatrice Auty, 26, are all charged with transferring criminal property.
Larvin took her first trip to Dubai in September 2020 with Harrison.
Jo-Emma Larvin (pictured) is accused of acting as a 'courier' for a smuggling gang by taking a suitcase full of money to Dubai
The 44-year-old and her partner Jonathan Johnson (pictured together outside court) have been charged with three other people with transferring criminal property
She told the court she had met Harrison for the first time at a Starbucks café in Knightsbridge before being picked up by a driver and taken to Heathrow.
Prosecutor Julian Christopher, KC, cross-examining Larvin, asked: 'You arrive at the airport, and you send a message to Mr Johnson saying, 'nervous now', can you explain that?'
'I was just nervous, it was my first day, I was working for the UAE embassy,' Larvin said.
Larvin told the court after she arrived at the airport, she went to go check in the suitcases at the business class check-in point with Harrison.
'We got to the check-in gave our passports, they asked for the cases to be put on conveyor belt, they asked no questions, that was noticeable,' Larvin said.
'So, they didn't say 'oh hello you're from the embassy?' the prosecutor asked.
'No,' Larvin replied.
'But you thought the single fact you weren't asked about the bags meant that a member of the embassy was expecting you?' Mr Christopher continued.
'Yeah, It was
