A Nigerian man was being detained last night on suspicion of human trafficking.
The 35-year-old was arrested by immigration gardai at Dublin airport yesterday as he disembarked from a flight from Amsterdam. Officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau recovered 60 blank birth certificates.
The arrest follows increased co-operation in recent days between bureau members and their counterparts at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Another Nigerian was held at Schiphol yesterday and was later deported back to the Nigerian capital, Lagos.
The man in Dublin was arrested on suspicion of an offence under section two of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000. He is the second person to be arrested under the law, which is aimed at reducing the flow of illegal immigrants.
Under the law, any person found to be smuggling humans can be imprisoned for up to 10 years or face an unlimited fine.
Last September, a Romanian man was arrested at Rosslare ferry port in Co Wexford with five fellow nationals. He was subsequently released and a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Three other men and a woman in the car subsequently applied for asylum.
The Nigerian man was being held last night at Store Street Garda station under section four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which allows for the detention of a suspect for up to 12 hours. Gardai say he has been living legally in Ireland since early last year, and was formerly an applicant for asylum.
The head of the immigration bureau, Chief Supt Martin Donnellan, recently hosted a delegation from French immigration authorities. The visit was part of ongoing efforts to enhance co-operation with immigration authorities in other EU states.
Senior gardai have also travelled to Britain and Northern Ireland to meet police, customs and immigration officials about the trafficking of illegal immigrants into the State.
The bureau has established permanent liaison officers in Paris and London to work with the national police forces in identifying the gangs responsible for trafficking people into the State.