A St Elizabeth businessman has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than US$270,000 hidden inside boxes of bath soap in his luggage at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James.

Shawn Walker, 34, of Crawford district, is charged with possession of criminal property, concealment of criminal property, and failure to report to the designated authority the transportation of cash into or out of Jamaica.

The Financial Investigations Division (FID) reports that Walker arrived on the island aboard a United Airlines flight from New Jersey on June 7 when personnel from the Jamaica Customs Agency became suspicious of items in his luggage during routine checks.