Accused 'unaware' Egyptians were illegal immigrants, court hears

The former RDS carpark attendant accused of people trafficking told gardaí he was "unaware" the six Egyptian men he arranged to meet from Dublin Airport were illegal immigrants.

Declan Gaffney (aged 24) claimed during a garda interview: "I was unaware that I was bringing people into the country who weren’t supposed to be there."

Mr Gaffney, of Dorset Street, Dublin 1, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to facilitating illegal immigrants into Ireland on dates between December 20, 2006 and January 5, 2007 and holding a false employment confirmation letter at the airport on January 5, 2007.

Detective Sergeant John Foudy of the Garda National Immigration Bureau said earlier that the accused claimed an RDS co-worker, known as "Baha", organised the airport "meet-and-greet" job and promised him €500 for the day with the possibility of similar future work.

The detective sergeant told prosecution counsel, Ms Una Ní Raifeartaigh BL, that Mr Gaffney agreed it was "strange" to be offered €500 for an airport pick up but explained that he didn’t "often get the chance" to earn such an amount.

The former charity volunteer described having an angry phone converstation with Baha when he left the airport, in which Baha told him he was just as shocked and didn’t know Triton Ltd, listed on the employment confirmation letter, was a bogus shipping agency.

Det Sgt Foudy agreed with defence counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, that Baha was an Egyptian national deported with a one-year suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty at the district court to organising people trafficking.

He agreed that a garda handwriting expert couldn’t connect the accused’s signature with the signed writing "Declan Gaffney" at the foot of the false letter handed to immigration officers by one of the six Egyptians, who were refused entry to the State and sent back home on a Madrid flight.

The trial continues before Judge Frank O’Donnell and a jury of seven women and five men.