A 62-year-old man central to the mink industry is appealing his sentence for laundering 6.2 million kroner. The appeal, filed with the Western High Court, seeks a lighter punishment.

The Esbjerg Court ruled on August 25 that Kjeld Christensen from Årre laundered the funds, which originated from a Chinese man in Aarhus. Christensen facilitated the exchange of the money for mink skins as part of a money laundering scheme.

The Aarhus man required money laundering services to support his extensive illegal hashish smuggling operation.

The city court sentenced the 62-year-old to one year and nine months in prison, aligning with the prosecution’s request.

The convicted man was also involved in an overcompensation commission following the corona crisis, which determined compensation for business operators in the mink industry affected by its closure.

The defense attorney clarified that the appeal is solely focused on the severity of the sentence, not on the defendant’s guilt.