Health worker arrested at Dublin Airport for people smuggling with 'lookalike' document
Tom Tuite
A UK-based healthcare assistant has been refused bail following her Dublin Airport arrest for smuggling a woman into Ireland with a Swedish "lookalike" document to claim asylum.
Muna Mohamed Sharif (47), with an address at Bodmin Grove, Birmingham, England, was arrested at Terminal 2 on Friday afternoon.
The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) charged her under sections 6 and 8 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act 2021.
She is accused of assisting another woman with unlawful entry into, transit across, or presence in the State, and of providing a fraudulent travel or identity document for that purpose.
On Saturday, she appeared at Dublin District Court before Judge David McHugh, who noted the evidence that she allegedly facilitated entry into the State illegally, and he held that she was a flight risk.
Detective Garda Kerry O'Sullivan said Ms Sharif was arrested at 2.10 pm and "made no reply" to the charges, which are punishable by a maximum 10-year prison term.
The GNIB detective alleged that the accused and the woman who was brought into the country separately presented themselves to immigration officers.
However, she added that the airport officials "saw that they made eye contact with each other and later discovered, during the detention, that Ms Sharif had supplied the injured party with a Swedish lookalike document".
The court heard she made admissions.
Detective Garda O'Sullivan said her phone contained correspondence with the lawful owner of the passport discussing a fee for the use of the travel document.
The woman using it was from Somalia and has now claimed asylum, the court heard.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Paddy Flynn, the detective agreed that the accused has lived in the UK since 2002, has British citizenship, and her only passport has been seized
She also acknowledged that Ms Sharif was cooperative but did not believe that was indicative that she would attend her court proceedings if released on bail.
Counsel conceded that she did not have rigid ties to this country but argued that a lack of an address here was not a barrier to bail.
Mr Flynn explained that he had been instructed that his client had friends in Ireland who could be contacted from her phone.
However, the GNIB detective did not think she had connections to Ireland and also said the accused was "very elusive about her friends".
Counsel portrayed that elusiveness as a sign of "greenness," showing his client thought she was helping, but the detective did not accept that either.
Cash was also seized from her, but the amount was not revealed during the contested bail hearing.
Mr Flynn told the court that in similar cases, €1,000 cash bail has been granted, subject to conditions to furnish an address, reside in the State, and sign on regularly at a garda station.
The officer disagreed that it would take a lengthy period to obtain directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Text messages need to be translated, counsel pointed out, and he argued that it could take several months.
He submitted that although she was not a citizen, she enjoyed the right to liberty under Irish law. Strict conditions would have to be introduced, and a cash amount should be considered.
The court heard that she had obtained UK citizenship and was due back at work next week.
Ruling on the bail application, he said that where a person faces a serious charge and has no significant ties to the country, the risk of flight is exponentially increased.
Judge McHugh granted legal aid and remanded her in custody pending directions from the DPP. She is scheduled to appear again on Friday.
