IRELAND SURRENDERED 149 people to other countries in the EU after receiving a European Arrest Warrant last year, according to new figures.
A report published by the Department of Justice found that Ireland received a total of 313 European Arrest Warrants for crimes including murder, rape and drug trafficking in 2012.
The vast majority of these warrants – 170 – were for Polish people. Another 25 were for Irish nationals, followed by Lithuania (22), UK (34), Czech Republic (15) and Latvia (8).
Organised crime was the offence most frequently cited on the warrants, followed by fraud.
Eight appeals were made to the Supreme Court last year over the warrants. One appeal was refused, which meant the person was ordered to be surrendered to the other EU country, while another was granted. Six of the appeals were ongoing.
Ireland issued 88 warrants last year in order to seek the return of people wanted for crimes in Ireland.
Since 2003, the European Arrest Warrant is used by any EU member state to extradite someone who is wanted in one country for a crime but who is living in another country.
It can be used to seek the return of someone to stand trial, face sentencing after already being convicted or to serve a sentence which has been handed down by a court in that country.
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