24 Men Removed from the State on Chartered Flight Bound for Romania

The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has carried out an operation removing individuals from the State on foot of EU Removal Orders, with accompanying Exclusion Orders banning re-entry into the State for periods of up to 10 years.

An Garda Síochána has confirmed that the operation took place on Sunday 18 October 2026. It resulted in the removal of twenty-four (24) adult males, ranging in age from mid-twenties (20s) to mid-fifties (50s).

All persons were removed on a chartered flight which left Dublin earlier on Sunday 18 October 2026, bound for Romania. The targeted individuals all have a criminal history in Ireland and have been convicted before the Courts and received custodial sentences.

Eighteen (18) individuals had been currently serving prison sentences and were removed directly from Irish Prison Service custody. The remaining six (6) individuals were arrested and detained across Ireland and were lodged in custody prior to their removal.

Gardaí have said the removal of the twenty-four (24) individuals, all convicted of offences in this jurisdiction, supports ongoing operations by An Garda Síochána nationwide. These include Operation MOONRIDGE, targeting sex offenders, domestic violence offenders, for offences of sexual assault, and Operation THOR, targeting organised crime groups involved in burglaries nationwide.

The list continues with Operation TÁIRGE, targeting recidivist offenders involved in organised retail crime and handling stolen property, and Operation TARA, targeting drug supply networks. Road Safety is also listed, with multiple convictions for road traffic offences, including driving while intoxicated, dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

An Garda Síochána continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy, along with the Irish Prison Service in the implementation of these operations.

In a note to editors, Gardaí state that in 2024 the Department of Justice put in place arrangements to take over immigration registration (administrative) functions from An Garda Síochána. The transfer was in line with the implementation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recommendations and relieved Garda National Immigration Bureau officers of those administrative duties to concentrate on investigative and enforcement immigration duties.