A garda has told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he arrested a man for suspected human trafficking after he was found with receipts made out to Mauritian nationals for "the down-payment for work visa applications" here.
Det Garda John McCormack from the Garda National Immigration Bureau said on day five of the trial that he arrested Olaitan Ilori after telling him he suspected he was involved in organising the arrival of Mauritian nationals into Dublin airport. Mr Ilori, Oak Drive, Blessington, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to the charge that he organised or facilitated the entry in October 2004 of 14 Mauritian nationals, whom he knew or had reasonable cause to believe, were illegal immigrants
Det Garda McCormack told Alex Owens SC, prosecuting, that he met Mr Ilori in the customs office of Dublin airport after he had been stopped during a routine examination.
Mr Ilori had documents on him, including nine receipts that had been issued by Micro Data Information Academy For Excellence in Mauritius, for what was described as "down-payments for work visa applications in Ireland".
The receipts were in the name of four people from a group of Mauritian nationals, which included a six-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother, who had been stopped by Custom officers after getting off a flight from Paris.
A later search of Mr Ilori's briefcase revealed 27 documents on headed paper in the name of Equity Office, based at Parnell Street, Dublin, and described as "immigration consultants".
The document stated that the named person agreed to pay €2,000 for a work permit application which was to be paid in four monthly instalments to a "Dodga Rhodes", once they began working in Ireland.
Insp Angela Willis told Mr Owens that a later search of Mr Ilori's car revealed curriculum vitae relating to the Mauritian nationals and contact details for Dodga Rhodes at an address in Castleknock, Co Dublin, and with an Irish mobile phone number.
There was also a note that stated: "The client wishes to make work permit applications for a number of IT workers from Mauritius."
The hearing continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.