A former Russian soldier who yesterday admitted being paid £800 to help two of his countrymen and a Moldovan to enter the State illegally became the first person to be jailed under a new law on human trafficking.
Dimitry Beliacoff (28), with an address at Phibsboro Road, Dublin, was sentenced to four months' imprisonment in the Dublin District Court after he admitted two charges of facilitating for personal gain the entry of persons to this State on January 28th and March 26th last, contrary to the Illegal Immigration (Trafficking) Act, 2000.
The court was told that after he was charged, he replied: "I like helping refugees. I wanted to help, like Moses."
Det Insp John O'Driscoll told the court Beliacoff was stopped at Dublin Airport on March 26th with two Russian men. They had three poor-quality fake Lithuanian passports. Three genuine Ukrainian passports were found on Beliacoff when he was searched.
He later admitted he had met the men in Paris and agreed to help them get into the State for £200 each. He also admitted that two months earlier he had assisted a Moldovan national to get into this State for £400.
The two Russians were sent back to Paris, but the Moldovan has not been traced. He has not registered for asylum and it was presumed he had taken up work using another name as an illegal immigrant.
Beliacoff's solicitor, Ms Yvonne Bambury, said he had not adjusted well to prison since he was placed in custody last month and had attempted suicide on one occasion.
Judge David Anderson said he did not believe probation or a suspended sentence was the appropriate penalty in a case like this. He imposed four months' imprisonment on both charges.