Leaders of trafficking gang face 15 years in prison
THE alleged leaders of a gypsy crime gang accused of trafficking more than 100 people into Ireland for labour exploitation are facing trial in their native Romania.
The four accused face jail sentences of up to 15 years if they are found guilty.
Their arrests followed a joint operation, codenamed Sibling, involving Romanian police and gardai in July last year.
Detectives from the Garda National Immigration Bureau were backed up by officers from the Wexford division in the investigation here.
It is alleged that the Fusteac family were at the centre of a criminal racket in which they trafficked Romanians here and set them up in jobs in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
The prosecution allege that the gang netted more than €100,000 from taking a slice of the workers' pay over the previous two years.
It claims that Remy Fusteac (40) and three other people from the Timisoara area of Romania demanded €2,500 to ferry people to Ireland and find jobs for them.
The workers were then ordered to hand over 30pc of their pay to the gang, and if they refused their families at home were threatened with torture and beatings, according to Romanian police.
Violence
Police spokesman Ciprian Gaic said : "The gang used violence to get the money out of them and used more violence to make sure they kept handing over a share of their earnings".
The inquiries in county Wexford resulted in the arrest of four men, who were suspected of demanding money with menaces and detained under the Public Order Act.
The four were later released from custody without charge. But inquiries are continuing, a senior garda officer said last night, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will determine if charges should be brought here.
Gardai also carried out five searches in the county and a number of firearms were seized.
The investigation also resulted in a young person being placed temporarily in the care of the Health Service Executive but the child was later handed over to adults after they were identified as close relatives.
Late last year it was disclosed that the immigration bureau had launched a series of investigations into foreign gangs involved in human trafficking.
Members of the bureau are using new powers that were introduced in legislation last June.
- Tom Brady Security Editor
