Latvian police in Donegal to advance human trafficking operation

Latvian police jetted into Donegal to aid local gardai with a major human trafficking probe.

Senior officers from the State Police of Latvia met with garda chiefs in Donegal to advance the probe into human trafficking.

Ballyshannon-based Superintendent Karen Duffy hosted the Latvian detectives.

Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan also met as part of the joint operation, which has been running for almost two years now.

“This is the first Mutual Assistance case of it kind to take place in the North West,” a garda spokesperson said.

“As part of an ongoing Human Trafficking Investigation in the Donegal District, our investigation team and senior members had the pleasure of working with the Latvian Police to advance the case.

“We are extremely grateful to our Joint Investigation Team in Latvia for their diligent work and assistance with this case.”

Late last year, two men were remanded in custody after being arrested as part of the operation.

Georgijs Poniza, a 35-year-old, and 28-year-old Armen Pogosyan, both with an address at Assaroe Falls, Ballyshannon, have been charged with aiding an international crime gang in human trafficking in Donegal.

The pair, lifted by cops after a complex probe into labour exploitation in Donegal, have also been charged with transferring over €338,400 in wages of the alleged victims to bank accounts in Latvia.

Detectives, accompanied by international colleagues, swooped after a large-scale investigation into the alleged trafficking of persons into Ireland for the purpose of labour exploitation.

The men have been in custody at Castlerea Prison since last October.

Europol officers were in Donegal during an international Law Enforcement Operation, which involved a Joint Investigation Team that was established in conjunction with Law Enforcement in Latvia.

An Garda Síochána’s Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit (HTICU) at GNPSB, the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB), Garda Mutual Assistance Section and the Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS) are all involved in the probe.