On-the-run sex offender arrested at Dublin Airport
On-the-run sex offender Mian Shahid was arrested by Gardaí at Dublin Airport last night as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai.
Following his arrest at around 10.40pm, he was detained at Clontarf Garda Station and is expected to appear at a special sitting of the High Court later today.
The 19-year-old Pakistani national, who lived for a time in Scotland, was convicted in his absence in April at Stafford Crown Court in the UK of two counts of sexual assault on an 18-year-old woman.
He was later sentenced, also in his absence, to 30 months in prison.
British police believed he fled from Scotland to Ireland earlier this year, and requested assistance from gardaí, who received a European arrest warrant.
Before his arrest last night, Shahid was last seen in the Foynes areas of Limerick on August 11.
Gardaí had appealed to the public for assistance last Thursday when exhaustive enquiries over a 10-day period had failed to locate Shahid.
They had appealed for Shahid to turn himself in, warning him he is also subject to the reporting provisions of the Sex Offenders Act in Ireland.
“Following the receipt of a European arrest warrant, Gardaí have carried out extensive enquires but have failed to establish his current whereabouts,” a Garda spokesman had said.
“Our enquiries would indicate that he is still in this jurisdiction.
“Gardaí continue to liaise closely with Police Scotland and the Staffordshire Police in relation to this matter.”
The Sex Offender Management and intelligence Unit is responsible for the monitoring of convicted sex offenders on a national basis in conjunction with local Gardaí and works closely with other European Police authorities, including the UK, with regard to transient sex offenders.
