Aine Davis: British ‘fighter’ arranged for woman to smuggle €20,000 to Syria in her underwear, court told

Londoner accused of terrorist fundraising and possessing gun in Syria

The court heard that Aine Davis travelled to Syria in 2013 (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A British terrorism suspect arranged for a woman to smuggle €20,000 (£17,000) to him hidden in her underwear, a court has heard.

Aine Davis, 38, from west London, has been charged with two offences relating to fundraising for terrorism in January 2014.

He is also accused of possessing a gun in Syria “for the purpose of commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism”.

Mr Davis, who attended court wearing a grey prison tracksuit, did not enter a plea to the charges during a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

It heard that he travelled to Syria in 2013 and that messages and photos subsequently sent to his wife showed that he was fighting in the country and in possession of a firearm.

Mr Davis allegedly then used his wife to enter a funding arrangement with another woman, who was recruited to transport €20,000 to him by boarding a flight to Istanbul from Heathrow with notes hidden in her underwear.

The money was allegedly “destined to support a terrorist cause that Mr Davis was pursuing with likeminded individuals”, the court heard.

Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring remanded Mr Davis, who is also known as Hamza, in custody ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey on 2 September.

He was arrested after being deported to the UK by Turkish authorities on Wednesday.