Carl O'Brien
A non-national woman is to be deported from the State following a raid on a lap-dancing club on Dublin's Capel Street at the weekend.
Gardaí arrested nine women and one man during a search of the premises as part of Operation Quest, its ongoing investigation targeted at human trafficking, illegal employment and racketeering.
It is understood that one of the lap-dancers did not have an employment permit and was detained pending deportation from the State. The others were released without charge.
Under the Employment Act (2003), a person who employs a non-national without an employment permit may, on summary conviction, face a €3,000 fine or a prison sentence of up to 12 months.
The maximum sentence for an employer found guilty of flouting the law, on indictment, is a prison sentence of up to 10 years or a fine of up to €250,000.
A Garda spokesman said investigations were continuing and could not say if any files were being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Detectives from the Garda National Immigration Bureau, as well as stations in Store Street and the Bridewell, carried out the search on Saturday night.
The raid is the latest development under Operation Quest which saw 10 clubs in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Dundalk raided last June.
A total of 101 people, five of whom were men, were arrested and several people have appeared before the courts, including the manageress of the Dublin club, Strings, who was charged with failing to make tax returns. Garda investigations are ongoing.
Dancers arrested included immigrants from eastern Europe who were working illegally, some with expired work permits and others on tourist visas.