Limerick man wanted for alleged human trafficking of 66 people

Ryan Dunne

A Limerick man is wanted in Europe on a human trafficking charge which alleges that he attempted to facilitate by speedboat the transportation of 66 people from Greece to Italy.

Before the High Court on Thursday morning was Jeremiah O’Brien (55), of Yellow Brick House, Roche’s Road, Rathkeale, Limerick.

Detective Garda Tony Keane gave evidence that on November 26th, he was on duty in the Rathkeale area when he became aware of a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert for the arrest of Mr O’Brien, which related to a European arrest warrant.

Det Gda Keane said it is alleged that Jeremiah O’Brien and two other named persons acted jointly between November 9th 2017, and November 16th, 2017, by renting a car, and between November 11th, 2017, and November 23rd, 2017, by renting a 12m long speedboat.

It is further alleged that in the early morning of November 22nd, the respondent facilitated the transportation of 66 human beings, without life jackets, from an unknown desert place near Nafplio, Greece towards Italy.

That evening, it was discovered that the boat had stranded on a rocky shore near Gyalia beach close to Gerolimenas, Greece.

Det Gda Keane said the 66 people were 30 adult men (24 from Iraq, four from Syria, and two from Iran), 14 adult women (12 from Iraq, one from Syria, and one from Iran), and 22 children (12 boys from Iraq, one boy from Iran, five girls from Iraq, two girls from Syria, and two girls from Iran).

Det Gda Keane said that these 66 human beings paid between 4,000 and 6,000 US dollars each.

The detective said that after he informed Mr O’Brien that he was the subject of the SIS alert for the purpose of arrest, the respondent replied: “I was never in Greece.”

Det Gda Keane went on to say that after being brought to Henry Street Garda Station and given the details of the charge, the respondent said: “I don’t know anything about that.”

The detective gave evidence that Mr O'Brien then said that he had been in Greece and had rented a car.

Counsel for the State, Brian Gageby BL said there was no consent to bail and asked that Mr O'Brien be remanded in custody.

Ms Justice Karen O’Connor said she was satisfied that the respondent was the person named on the arrest warrant, based on Det Gda Keane’s evidence.

She remanded Mr O’Brien in custody to appear before the court on December 9th.