Muhammed Kashif and Deepa Vaswani plead guilty to fraud and theft

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Muhammed Kashif and Deepa Vaswani pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to handling stolen credit card information while reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of criminal conduct, unlawfully operating a computer with intent to make a gain, two charges of dishonestly buying flights online, obtaining hotel accommodation using stolen payment-card details, and theft from Smyths Toys and Love Toy Shopper. The offences occurred between 1 and 7 December 2017.

Kashif separately pleaded guilty to criminal damage to toys: he had been opening them to put them in a larger container and was charged with damaging their packaging. The proceedings were reported on 17 July 2018.

The report said stolen card details were used to pay for toys, sex toys and a six-night hotel stay. Garda Cathal Feely told prosecuting counsel Ronan Kennedy that stolen card numbers were also used to buy flights. Feely agreed that Kashif made no admissions of criminal activity in interview, claimed a friend bought the toys and said a travel agent booked the flights and accommodation. Vaswani said she believed her husband had paid a travel agent cash for the flights, and accepted that she took delivery of the toys.

The couple had been remanded in custody since their arrest and had no previous convictions. Defence counsel Keith Spencer asked Judge Melanie Greally to consider suspending any sentence so that one or both could address their children’s circumstances in Malaysia. The judge said a letter about the children’s schooling was inconsistent with what the court had been told and adjourned the case to Friday for independent confirmation. Sentencing was to take place later.