Two men from Georgia have been jailed for acting within a major criminal organisation which provided people with false documentation in order to travel to Ireland.
The number of Georgian nationals arriving illegally to Ireland ‘skyrocketed’ between 2017 and 2020, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Shavgulidze was a “gofer” at the bottom of the organisation, which had a role in the number of their fellow Georgian nationals illegally arriving to Ireland “skyrocketing” between 2017 and 2020.
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One of the men had 20 previous convictions, and the other also pleaded guilty to falsely claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
The court heard that Ethan Zeitman (46) and Levani Shavgulidze (24) were described by Judge Martin Nolan as “gofers” at the bottom of a crime organization which facilitated mostly Georgian nationals to travel to other countries.
He noted evidence this had led to a huge increase of Georgian nationals traveling to this State.
Zeitman, of Mullach Glas Crescent, Monaghan, pleaded guilty to money laundering, possession of fraudulent documentation and organising or facilitating the entry into the State of an illegal immigrant or person intending to seek asylum on dates between 2017 and 2019. He has 20 previous convictions.
Shavgulidze, of North Circular Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to stealing Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment, money laundering, possession of fraudulent documentation and organising or facilitating the entry into the State of an illegal immigrant or person intending to seek asylum.
Judge Nolan imposed a sentence of two years imprisonment on both men.