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'Gopher' caught with €1.8m in cash at Dublin Airport

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Chen Hsien Tsai, 59, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for money‑laundering after he was found carrying more than €1.78 million in cash at Dublin Airport's Terminal One on 7 March. The cash, in euro, sterling and US dollars, was discovered in two envelopes and in bags that also contained food and sanitary items. Tsai, who has no fixed abode in Ireland and no prior convictions in Ireland or the UK, claimed he was merely transporting the money for a friend and was not paid for the service. He admitted to being afraid and frightened when arrested. Judge Martin Nolan noted that an English‑speaking national might have received a longer sentence and that the prison could be a lonely place for a foreign national. The sentence was back‑dated to the day of his arrest. The case has attracted the interest of UK authorities. Chen Hsien Tsai pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Gopher' caught with €1.8m in cash at Dublin Airport. Charges or matters: possessing the money in various denominations including euro, sterling and US dollars at Terminal One last March 7. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 7 Incident
• 2024-01-25 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

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Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report