Extradition of male model sought over money laundering scheme

A male model who is facing international money laundering charges has been arrested and taken to the High Court on foot of an extradition warrant.

Mark Adams (40), with an address at Castleheath, Malahide, Co Dublin, is said to have booked 500 flights into and out of the UK in the space of four years and is alleged to have been a cash courier in a money laundering scheme.

Mr Adams was stopped at Belfast Airport on May 9th, 2018 travelling with only hand luggage in which €180,000 was found in two brown envelopes.

Northern Irish authorities are now seeking his extradition on charges that he concealed the money in his hand luggage and attempted to remove it from Northern Ireland on that date knowing or suspecting it to be proceeds of crime.

He is also facing prosecution for allegedly entering into an arrangement, namely the removal of criminal property from Northern Ireland, knowing or suspecting that this arrangement would facilitate the retention, use or control of such criminal property, by persons unknown, between May 13th, 2013 and May 10th, 2018.

Mr Adams was arrested by detectives from the Garda extradition unit on Friday and taken to the High Court. Det Garda Eoin Kane told the High Court he arrested Mr Adams on foot of a European Arrest Warrant at his Malahide address at 10.11am.

Det Garda Kane said he read a summary of the offences to Mr Adams, and when asked if he knew what the allegations were about, Mr Adams replied “yes”.

Det Garda Kane said gardaí­ were objecting to bail. He said Mr Adams told him that he was due to attend for addiction treatment on Saturday, but the detective spoke to the centre which said it was not accepting any patients at present “due to the coronavirus”.

Mr Justice Donald Binchy remanded Mr Adams in custody until March 12th, when an application for bail is expected to be made. A hearing into the proposed extradition was fixed for March 25th.