A FORMER RDS car park attendant who is accused of people trafficking told gardaí he was “unaware” that the six Egyptian men he had arranged to meet from Dublin airport were illegal immigrants.
Declan Gaffney said during a Garda interview: “I was unaware that I was bringing people into the country who weren’t supposed to be there.”
Mr Gaffney (24), Dorset Street, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to facilitating illegal immigrants into Ireland between December 20th, 2006, and January 5th, 2007, and holding a false employment confirmation letter at the airport on January 5th, 2007.
Det Sgt John Foudy, of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, said earlier that Mr Gaffney had claimed that an RDS co-worker, known as “Baha”, organised the airport “meet and greet” job and promised him €500 with the possibility of similar future work.
He told Una Ní Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, that Mr Gaffney agreed it was “strange” to be offered €500 for an airport pick-up but said he did not “often get the chance” to earn such an amount.
The former charity volunteer described having an angry phone conversation with Baha when he left the airport, in which Baha told him he was just as shocked and that he did not know Triton Ltd, listed on the employment letter, was a bogus shipping agency.
Baha has since been deported for trafficking.
The trial continues before Judge Frank O’Donnell and a jury of seven women and five men.