Polish fugitives who 'posed  risk to communities in Ireland' sent home by gardaí

Four men were 'living under the radar' here

A Garda statement said the four men were surrendered to Polish National Police.

Four Polish fugitives living "under the radar" in Ireland have been sent back to Poland to serve prison sentences after their criminal status was revealed through an EU database.

Garda bosses said the four men “posed a risk to communities in Ireland” until their identities were exposed and Polish authorities sought their surrender.

The four men are:

• Emil Pompa, aged 35, sentenced to 21 years for kidnapping and robbery;
• Grzegorz Grzesiak, 47, sentenced to nine years for robbery and fraud;
• Adrian Ziulkowski, 43, serving eight months for assault;
• Rafal Lukaswewski, 49, sentenced to four years for fraud.

A Garda statement said the Garda Extradition Unit surrendered four men to Polish National Police at Baldonnell Aerodrome in west Dublin.

The four were previously arrested on European Arrest Warrants issued by Polish Authorities.

Detective Superintendent Michael Mullen of the Garda Extradition Unit said: "This successful operation highlights strong international co-operation between An Garda Síochána and international partners resulting in the removal of fugitives who posed a risk to communities in Ireland.’’ 

This operation also involved the Department of Justice, The Defence Forces, and the Irish Prison Service

All four people were identified as a result of “hits” on the EU criminal Schengen database system, which Ireland formally joined in March 2021.

Three of the four men were not known in Ireland for any involvement in crime before their Polish convictions become known. The fourth man had been under investigation for use of fraudulent documentation.