An Egyptian fisherman working in Malta and found carrying over €20,000 in undeclared cash prior to boarding an Istanbul flight has been remanded in custody.

Khamis Mohamed Elghaly Fahmy, 40, who resides on the trawler MV Stella del Mare II, was detained on Monday evening following a random spot check by customs officials at a Malta International Airport boarding gate.

He was on his way to Egypt via Turkey following a number of months at sea with the Maltese owner of the trawler on which he lived.

Customs officials told the court that the money was found in separate envelopes which the defendant was carrying in a pouch strapped to his waist. Although the fisherman initially told them that he was carrying €8,700, €20,650 were found in his pouch. Consequently, customs officials confiscated €10,650, the excess over the €10,000 limit established by law for persons leaving the island.  

The defendant insisted that the undeclared money was not his, but of six other Egyptian fishermen who worked with him on the same trawler. He said that he had not been aware of his obligation to declare the entire sum and pointing out that he could not read the various warning signs at the airport urging travellers to declare large sums of money as he was not literate in Maltese and English.

It also transpired that the man’s visa expired on Tuesday, the day after he was arrested.

During submissions for bail, the prosecution argued that the defendant should be remanded in custody as he had no fixed address. On the insistence of the defence, the man’s employer, who was outside the courtroom, was called to testify.

However, the employer could not guarantee a fixed address, saying that the defendant’s visa was only valid on condition he remained on the trawler for the entire duration of his stay. 

In its decision, the court, presided by Magistrate Monica Vella, denied the bail request for fear the man might abscond. Police inspector William Scicluna prosecuted.