Gardaí are investigating a possible Jihadi terrorism fundraising link in this country after a man was caught with €200,000 in cash at Dublin Airport.
The 27-year-old Syrian national was arrested by gardaí after customs officers discovered the cash in his bag.
Investigations have established that the suspect arrived in Ireland from Norway a number of days previously, and was due to depart on a flight to Turkey when he was stopped and searched.
He has since been charged with money-laundering offences and remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison.
“At this stage, gardaí are satisfied that the cash seized does not appear to be linked to the drugs trade,” a source said.
“So everything is being looked at here, particularly whether the cash was the proceeds of Islamist fundraising in this county.”
While the ongoing investigation is being led by local officers, the Special Detective Unit (SDU), which investigates terror offences, has been “put on notice”.
Detectives are attempting to track the suspect’s movements in the days after he arrived here from Norway.
Enquiries are being made with international police agency Interpol and Norwegian police.
“Gardaí are attempting to establish a full profile of this individual. What seems to be sure at this stage is that this is not one of your typical drug-trafficking cash movements out of the country,” a source said.
“So, devices are being analysed, and the Norwegian police will also be carrying out their own enquires into the Syrian national.
“These investigations are complex and time-consuming by their very nature.
“At this stage, gardaí are keeping an open mind,” the source added.
Last October, it emerged that over €100,000 in cash and a number of digital devices were seized in a garda operation targeting Islamist fundraising activity in Ireland.
The operation was led by the SDU, assisted in their searches by officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
It was part of an international operation comprising several countries and Europol, the EU police agency.
In August 2022, the Irish Independent revealed that the garda anti-terrorism unit investigating Islamist extremism had seized around €175,000 in cash and arrested a suspect as part of a terrorist financing investigation.
