Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has ordered that €72,600 seized from a Belgian woman should be forfeited to the Exchequer.
Ms Patricia Bazin, with an address at Avenue de La Gazelle, in Brussels was found in possession of the cash in Dublin Airport on May 23rd, 2003.
She told Customs and Excise officials at the Airport that a Co Louth man she did not know gave her the money and that her Belgian boyfriend had asked her to collect it from this man.
Judge Desmond Hogan was told in an affidavit on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners that customs officials found small amounts of cash on Ms Bazin and her sister after stopping them in the airport.
A bag bearing Ms Bazin's flight tag, containing two envelopes with the €72,600 cash was retrieved some short time later. It was the Customs' opinion that the money was the proceeds of drugs trafficking.
When officials contacted the Belgian man he told them it was his money he was using for a car and truck auction in Nigeria.
He said he had asked the Co Louth man to attend the auction on his behalf but when he got there it was over.
Judge Hogan said he accepted the view of the Revenue Commissioners that the money was the proceeds of illegal drugs trafficking and directed that it be forfeited to the State.