Bank worker who laundered money for crime gang is jailed

A bank worker who facilitated a transnational organised crime group to launder money has been jailed for three years.

26-year-old Funmi Abimbola, from Rosse Court Terrace in Lucan, was a facilitator for the Black Axe organised crime group which international law enforcement say is one of the world's most dangerous criminal gangs.

He controlled many of the gang’s money mules and accounts in Ireland but fled the country after he was arrested and was extradited to face trial.

Judge Pauline Codd said that he was "effectively oiling the wheels" of this crime.

Funmi Abimbola was a highly educated Bank of Ireland employee who has a Masters in Human Resources.

The 26-year-old drove a Mercedes and wore expensive clothes and jewellery and came to the attention of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) during an investigation into the Black Axe criminal organisation.

Gardaí and Interpol have been focused on the activities of the organised crime group which originated in West Africa but has a global footprint.

They say it is involved in online fraud, human trafficking, drugs and gun crime as well as murder.

Director of Interpol’s Financial and Organised Crime Unit Rory Corcoran said it is a sophisticated organisation with a business model that involves a division of labour.

Members and associates open bank accounts using false documents in one country, the crime is committed, money is stolen and victims are left in another country while the money is laundered in other countries.

Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the GNECB said the gang’s method of operation keeps changing. Prior to Covid, he said a lot of criminals were flying into Ireland to open bank accounts.

Funmi Abimbola worked at the mid to high range of the organised crime group in Ireland.

He facilitated its money laundering by controlling money mules, moving money and managing the finances and accounts. Working in a bank he was aware of the internal tradecraft and how to get around it.

He came to the garda’s attention as they were investigating the theft of over €1m from a solicitor’s office in November 2020 as part of an invoice redirection fraud.

€700,000 of that money was recovered and ten people were convicted of laundering the money.

Some of it went to an account used to purchase a mobile phone and Funmi Abimbola was seen on CCTV collecting that phone from a parcel motel.

The IPhone was bought with money from an account which had received €121,000 from a business fraud.

It was bought using a false name, delivered to a parcel motel account set up in a false name but which was paid with a card used by Funmi Abimbola.

Gardaí discovered him receiving 34 bank account details from various people and sending on 18 to others.

There were 240,000 pages of information, 76,000 images and 18 conversations saved on a phone relating to money mules and fraud.

The messages were across all platforms, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and iMessages.

One conversation contained 882 messages and gardaí discovered that Abimbola was in contact with higher up gang members.

When his home was searched €2,600 in cash was found along with luxury items and a bank card in the name of a prospective money mule.

Abimbola was arrested and charged but fled to the UK after he was granted bail. He was subsequently arrested in Manchester and extradited back to Ireland.

He was sentenced in the Circuit Criminal Court today to five years in prison with two suspended.

Five others were sentenced last January in connection with the crime.

Cameron Fanning, 25, of Bishop Rogan Park, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering from the solicitor's firm on 9 November 2020 and one count of giving false information about his bank account to gardaí.

He was sentenced to three and half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions.

Mubarak Salawu, 22, of The Paddocks Drive, Adamstown, Lucan, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering in relation to the stolen monies which were credited to his account and an unrelated charge of possessing a pair of €600 Balenciaga runners bought from the proceeds of crime.

He received a suspended two-year prison sentence.

Olumide Lawal, 27, of Fettercairn Road, Tallaght, admitted two counts of money laundering and possession of a €900 iPhone bought using the proceeds of crime.

Lawal was given a suspended two-year sentence.

Aaron Clancy, 21, of The Square, Walshetown Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitor's firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime.

Clancy received a suspended prison sentence of two years.