A man, extradited from the UK, has been charged with laundering almost half-a-million euro while living in Co Tipperary five years ago.
Zahid Ahmed Begum, with an address in Birmingham, was arrested at Dublin Airport yesterday evening.
Mr Begum appeared before Dublin District Court this afternoon where he was charged with 53 counts of money laundering.
His arrest followed an investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau into Business Email Compromise fraud, whereby fraudulent invoices are sent to companies.
Detective Garda Shane Fitzsimons of the GNECB told the court he arrested Mr Begum at Dublin airport at 6.35pm yesterday on foot of an arrest warrant and brought him to Ballymun Garda Station where he was charged.
Mr Begum, who had an interpreter in court today, is accused of possessing the proceeds of criminal conduct totalling €447,000 on two dates.
He is charged with possessing just over €273,000 in his bank account in AIB in Cahir, Co Tipperary on 19 October and having just over €174,000 in his account on 3 November.
The remaining charges relate to transferring money to accounts in the UK in various sums of between five and twenty-thousand euro.
He is also charged with transferring a sum of money into a separate account with his name on it.
Peter Connolly, acting for Mr Begum, said his client would be denying the charges and there is a presumption of innocence.
He said these charges related to invoice redirect fraud.
He said Mr Begum was arrested two months ago at Heathrow Airport and has lost his job as a part-time security officer in the UK as a result of this situation.
Mr Connolly made an application for legal aid and said he would not be making an application for bail today.
Judge John King heard that there will be objections to bail once an application is made.
The court heard that the DPP has directed that Mr Begum be tried by indictment.
Judge John King granted legal aid and remanded M Begum in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court via video link on Thursday, 5 January.
