A LITHUANIAN man wanted for allegedly trafficking and selling young women into prostitution in a number of Europe countries including Ireland has consented to his extradition back to his native country.
Sigitas Kareiva (25), who has been in custody at Cloverhill prison since his arrest by the Garda Extradition Unit in July of this year, is wanted on charges including the trafficking and selling into prostitution of young Lithuanian women to gangs to the UK and the Netherlands as well as Ireland.
He is also wanted on charges of rape, possession of pornography and the sexual exploitation of children.
At the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Michael Peart was informed by counsel for Mr Kareiva he was voluntarily consenting to his extradition back to Lithuania. Through a translator, Mr Kareiva told the judge he had received legal advice and now wanted the extradition to take place as soon as possible.
Mr Justice Peart said that he was satisfied to make the extradition order and told Mr Karevia he would be returned sometime over the next ten days.
The Lithuanian authorities claim that, in early 2005, Mr Kareiva and others were part of a gang that trafficked young Lithuanian women, some of whom were underage, on the promise that they would get jobs. A warrant for Mr Kareiva's arrest was issued in December of last year and a bail application was later refused.