A LITHUANIAN man wanted for allegedly trafficking young women into prostitution in Ireland has agreed to be extradited to his native country.
Sigitas Kareiva, who has been in custody at Cloverhill prison since his arrest by the Garda Extradition Unit in July, is wanted on charges including the trafficking and selling into prostitution of young Lithuanian women to gangs in a number of European countries, including Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.
The 25-year-old is also wanted on charges of rape, possession of pornography and the sexual exploitation of children.
At the High Court last Thursday, Justice Michael Peart was informed by counsel for Kareiva that he was voluntarily consenting to his extradition back to Lithuania. Kareiva told the judge, through a translator, that he had received legal advice and now wanted to be extradited.
Justice Peart said that he was satisfied to make the extradition order and told Karevia he would be returned to Lithuania shortly.
Authorities in the Baltic country say that in early 2005, Kareiva was part of a gang that trafficked young Lithuanian women into other European countries, promising them jobs upon arrival. However, the women were allegedly being forced into prostitution instead. A warrant for Kareiva’s arrest was issued in December and a bail application was later refused.
According to the US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, released in June, Lithuania is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Approximately 21 per cent of Lithuanian trafficking victims are underage girls.
