Man Denied Bail in €804,000 Fraud Case Involving Fake Credit Cards and Benefit Claims

Dublin: A 47-year-old Nigerian national has been refused bail after appearing before the Dublin District Court in connection with an alleged €804,000 financial fraud and money laundering operation.

The accused, Olatunde Salawe, was arrested in Dublin by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) on Thursday morning. He is alleged to have travelled weekly from London to Dublin between September and March to collect Jobseeker’s Allowance payments, despite not being entitled to them.

During the court hearing, Judge Michael Finan refused bail and granted legal aid. The defendant was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Cloverhill District Court.

Investigators told the court that approximately 100 fake credit cards, €3,300 in cash, and a fraudulent device were seized during the arrest. It is alleged that artificial intelligence-generated documents were used to create the credit cards.

The accused also faces multiple theft charges totalling €254,000 across eight dates between November 2025 and March 2026. Gardaí allege that he applied for 145 credit cards using falsified documents, ultimately defrauding financial institutions of €804,000.

Although the defendant had no permanent address in Ireland, he was found in possession of an Irish passport. Gardaí told the court they suspect the document may have been forged.

The defence argued that Salawe had strong ties to Ireland, including friends in Dublin and two adult children living in the country. However, a GNECB detective disputed this claim, stating that while in custody, the accused contacted his mother in Nigeria rather than any Irish-based connections.

Defence counsel further submitted that the accused had no prior convictions and maintained his innocence. However, Gardaí indicated that the Director of Public Prosecutions is preparing a file involving serious charges.

After considering the nature of the allegations and the evidence presented, the court denied bail.

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