A Ukrainian man laundered more than €1 million in cash in exchange for food and fuel, a court has heard.
Oleksandr Strymbu (35) was jailed for five years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.
The father of two had pleaded guilty to handling €1,058,575-worth of crime proceeds at his address in Beverly Downs, Knocklyon, Co Dublin, on June 13th, 2024.
Det Garda Kate Gilligan told the court the rented house he shared was searched that day. More than €1 million in cash was found in six shopping and gift bags in his bedroom.
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Some of the cash was in vacuum packs and some was gathered with elastic bands. There was also a cash-counting machine on the coffee table. A further €25,900 in cash was found in an upstairs bedroom.
The defendant told gardaí he had been tasked with carrying out collections for his housemate, who was also his brother-in-law, and had been doing so for a few weeks.
He said he would travel to various locations in a van and hand over Ukrainian bank notes to a person, who would then put a bag in the van. He would then leave the bags in his room for collection.
He said he did not know how much cash was in the bags or where the money came from. He also said he was not getting paid, but would get money for fuel and be taken out for food.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Oisín Clarke, Det Gda Gilligan agreed Strymbu had described himself as an idiot to gardaí.
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“I trusted my relative. I said I didn’t want anything to do with it, but said I would help him,” he said. “I didn’t want anything for it. Now I’m here, where’s he?”
Mr Clarke said his client’s wife, two children and parents are all in Ukraine. They had come here with him for three months but could not stay. Strymbu has not had any visits since being taken into custody last June.
Counsel handed in a ‘heartfelt’ letter from Strymbu’s wife, who spoke about their young children not seeing him for nearly a year.
Mr Clarke said Strymbu worked in construction here and was to send money home from Ireland. He now works in the prison kitchen seven days a week and attends school Monday to Friday.
Counsel handed in a reference from Strymbu’s priest and said his client was well regarded by his community.
“He was holding and collecting – essentially a courier,” he said of his client’s role. “He was low on the ladder in money laundering, even though the money is large.”
Judge Martin Nolan noted that gardaí believed the money came from the drugs trade.
“He was a vital cog in this criminal organisation,” he said. “I would say he was at least in the middle in the hierarchy. I’d say he’d have to be trusted to handle this amount of cash.”
