Joe Calzaghe’s ex-girlfriend tells ‘smuggling ring’ trial she was nervous about flying cash to Dubai

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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 all in accordance with what Michelle Clarke had said,’ Larvin replied.

‘And what would you have done if you had been asked ‘did you pack these bags?’ asked Mr Christopher.

‘I would have obviously told them the truth and there would have been no further action,’ she said.

‘That’s why we asked about further investigation into these people on the airport desks.

‘If they’re allowing it then it’s legal, if it’s not then surely they’re in on it.

‘Surely if they had done their job and the truth had been told then no one is getting past this desk,’ Larvin replied.

Ms Larvin (pictured) is on trial at accused of transferring criminal property from the UK, an offence she denies

Ms Larvin dated Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe for six years – here they are pictured together at the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards

‘So, you would have said [in this bag] is some business documentation and some business cash,’ Mr Christopher said.

‘Yes, I would have told them the truth,’ Larvin replied.

‘So, if we look at your messages Mr Johnson says, ‘All, ok?’ and you said ‘Yes, phew.’

‘What does that mean?’ asked the prosecutor.

‘I say ‘phew’ a lot it doesn’t have a big meaning,’ Larvin said.

‘He then says ‘is that the difficult bit done?,’ Mr Christopher said.

‘I took that to mean the time you physically have to carry the cases,’ Larvin replied.

‘So, when you say carry the cases, we are talking about pushing a trolley with three or four cases on it?’ the prosecutor asked.

‘Yeah, that’s what I was taking he meant,’ Larvin replied.

‘So, this is not because of any concern of here you are checking in suitcases with very large quantities of cash,’ Mr Christopher continued.

‘It really wasn’t,’ Larvin replied.

‘He says ‘Was it ok, straightforward?’ Mr Christopher said.

‘Yes,’ replied Larvin.

‘So as far as you understand was it as straightforward to push the trolleys and lift bags onto conveyor belt?’ asked the prosecutor.

‘Yeah, it’s for the embassy he was probably thinking was it difficult, was it straightforward,’ Larvin said.

‘And you say ‘I think so yes.’

‘Was that an answer to ‘Was that the difficult bit done?’ Mr Christopher said.

‘Yeah, I think so… it was so smooth,’ Larvin replied.

The organiser, Abdulla Alfalasi, 47, arranged 83 successful trips over 18 months involving cash ‘in the region of £100m’, the court has heard

Larvin and Johnson, both of Ripon, North Yorks, along with Harrison, of Worcester Park, Surrey, Auty, of Fulham, and Rabone, of West Kensington, all deny removing criminal property from the UK.

The trial continues.