A taxi driver has admitted attempting to leave Dublin Airport with more than €120,000 in undeclared cash.
Khaled Almoghayer (43), of Winston Cheshire, Belgium, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempting to leave the European Union with €10,000 or more in cash without declaring it on January 3, 2026. The court heard he has no previous convictions.
Although originally from Gaza, Almoghayer has been living in Belgium for the past 12 years. His defence counsel told the court that his property in Gaza had been destroyed.
Giving evidence, Garda Sarah Johnson told the court that gardaí were contacted by Revenue's Customs Service after officers discovered a large quantity of cash during checks at Dublin Airport.
The money was found concealed inside Almoghayer's check-in suitcase, hidden in boots and socks, while more cash was discovered in his shoulder bag.
When questioned, Almoghayer initially claimed he had around €3,000, before denying he was carrying any cash. However, officers found a total of €122,850.
He told investigators the money represented his life savings and said he planned to use it to buy a property in Turkey as well as pay for dental treatment.
The court also heard that after being taken to a Garda station, Almoghayer told officers he had travelled alone after arriving in Ireland and had gone directly to a hotel by taxi.
However, CCTV footage reportedly showed him travelling with another man to Rathmines, where he was collected by a second individual.
The court heard Almoghayer had travelled from Ireland to Istanbul on 12 occasions this year. While he maintained the cash was his life savings, he was unable to provide bank statements or other financial records to support that claim.
