Man arrested at airport charged with human trafficking

A man charged with human trafficking and organising prostitution was arrested on Tuesday night at Dublin Airport and appeared before Dublin District Court on Wednesday.

Bakery worker Grzegorz Grzyb (33), a Polish national with an address at Virginia Heights, Springfield, Tallaght, Dublin, was brought to Store Street Garda station and charged on Wednesday morning with two offences.

He is accused of taking a named female under his control for the purpose of sexual exploitation between September 1st and 11th, 2012, contrary to the Criminal Law Human Trafficking Act 2008.

The second charge, which is under the Sexual Offences Act, alleges that from March 3rd, 2012, until October 25th, 2012, at an address in Tallaght he controlled or directed the activities of prostitution or compelled or coerced a person to be a prostitute.

Garda Lorna Cox of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau based at Harcourt Square, Dublin, told Judge Anthony Halpin that Mr Grzyb's reply to the first charge was "that is rubbish". He answered "these are lies" when the second charge was put to him.

Limited means

She said she had no objection to bail subject to a number of conditions, including a requirement to lodge €6,000.

Defence solicitor Niall O'Connor said his client was of limited means. He has lived in Ireland for nine years, and has been working full time with an income of about €360 a week. The accused has just €300 in savings, and had just returned from a trip to Poland to visit his child and his ex-wife.

Mr Grzyb’s passport has been seized by gardaí.

Judge Halpin set bail at €6,000, and ordered that the accused must not apply for a new passport and has to notify gardaí of any change of address. He will have to sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at his local Garda station.

The judge ordered Mr Grzyb not to have any contact with the injured party, witnesses or potential witnesses, and to provide gardaí with a telephone number on which he can be contacted at any time.

Free legal aid was granted, and Mr Grzyb was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court on November 23rd.