Gambiaj.com – (VALETTA, Malta) – A 28-year-old Gambian national has been remanded in custody in Malta after being accused in court of carrying €39,035 in undeclared cash upon arrival on a flight from Catania, Sicily.

Prosecutors told the court that on 8th February, Muhamadou Sillah arrived in Malta from Catania and, during inspection, declared that he had nothing to declare.

However, customs officials asked him to place his backpack and luggage through a scanner, where €39,035 in cash was allegedly discovered in different envelopes bearing various names.

According to the prosecution, police detained €10,000 of the cash, while customs authorities seized an additional €10,000.

A police inspector testified that Sillah voluntarily stated the money did not belong to him but to friends. He allegedly told investigators that he had collected the funds in Sicily and was traveling onward to The Gambia.

The inspector further informed the court that Sillah’s passport contained numerous arrival and departure stamps between Malta, Brussels, and Barcelona, with The Gambia frequently listed as the final destination.

Investigators said this travel pattern aroused suspicions that he may have been engaged in illegal banking operations.

Sillah entered a plea of not guilty.

Defence lawyer Dr Jason Grima informed the court that bail would not be requested at this stage, noting that the accused has no residence in Malta.

The prosecution, led by Police Inspectors Ian Camilleri and Shamus Woods, requested an order for the freezing and sequestration of all seized funds. Magistrate Ingrid Bianco upheld the request and ordered that Sillah be detained under arrest pending further proceedings.