A JUDGE has issued a warning that anyone who comes before him on a charge of money muling will be handed down a conviction.
Judge Alan Mitchell made his comments at Monday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court during a brief mention of a case which he adjourned for three months.
A money mule is a person who transfers illegally obtained money between different payment accounts, very often in different countries, on behalf of others.
Judge Mitchell said the offence was “serious”, and should be regarded as such much like the offence of drug muling.
“People have to know that money muling will bring a conviction,” he said.
“It is a very serious offence, it is like drug muling.”
In February of this year two former local students were each handed down community service in lieu of a custodial sentence when their cases were dealt with at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
Figures released in September showed nearly €17.5m was transferred illegally through so-called ‘money mule’ accounts between January and June of this year.
The flow of cash represented an increase of almost 50 per cent on 2022.
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