Courts / Dublin / Report

Sniffer dog rumbled fishmonger with €420k in cash

Summary

Roman German, a 41‑year‑old fishmonger from Vilinus, Lithuania, was arrested at Dublin Port on 6 December 2022 after a sniffer dog detected a bag containing €420,405 in cash. German had flown into Ireland on 5 December, stayed near Croke Park, then travelled to a security deposit box facility in Dublin 4 where he collected the money. He pleaded guilty to money‑laundering at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Garda Sean Dineen explained that German had no prior convictions in Ireland or Lithuania and that he was acting as a courier, not the owner or beneficiary of the cash, and was to be paid €200 for the service. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC noted German's business had failed and that he had no criminal record. Judge Elma Sheahan, taking into account his guilty plea, family and low re‑offending risk, sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, back‑dating the term to the date of his arrest.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Sniffer dog rumbled fishmonger with €420k in cash. Charges or matters: an offence of money laundering. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 6, 2022 Incident
• December 5 Incident
• 2023-12-19 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report