Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3019Human trafficking (labour exploitation) · Co. Donegal · 1 Dec 2020

Two men convicted of trafficking seven Latvian workers in Donegal in first labour exploitation trafficking conviction in Ireland

Georgijs Poniza (37) and Armen Pogosyan (30) pleaded guilty to 17 charges including seven apiece of trafficking at Letterkenny Circuit Court, the first conviction in the Republic of Ireland for human trafficking on the basis of labour exploitation. Seven Latvian victims were trafficked to Donegal between December 2020 and October 2023, living in sub-standard conditions and suffering a total loss of approximately €120,000 in earnings.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted21 May
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
17 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatSeven people were trafficked to Ireland from Latvia for work (irishtimes.com)
  • whatVictims were forced to scour public bins in search of food (irishtimes.com)
  • whatTotal loss of earnings to the victims was approximately €120,000 (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA male in Latvia, subject to criminal proceedings in that country, recruited the victims by deception (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe two accused supplied workers to two companies in south Donegal (irishtimes.com)
  • whereBoth accused have addresses at Assaroe Falls, Ballyshannon (irishtimes.com)
  • whereVictims lived in a rural house in Rossnowlagh or an apartment in Ballyshannon (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe period of offending was between December 2020 and October 2023 (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA complainant presented to Store Street Garda station in Dublin in April 2022 (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationSeven complainants came forward to make statements to gardaí (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationPoniza and Pogosyan have been in custody since their arrest in October 2023 (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeGeorgijs Poniza (37) and Armen Pogosyan (30) pleaded guilty to 17 charges including seven apiece of trafficking (irishtimes.com)
  • courtSentencing hearing took place at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case was put back by Judge John Aylmer to 9 June (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThis is the first conviction of its kind in the Republic of Ireland for human trafficking on the basis of labour exploitation (irishtimes.com)
  • otherNo criminality was suggested against the two companies, which co-operated fully with the investigation (irishtimes.com)
  • otherVictims cannot be identified under section 11 of the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 21 May2026
    Convictedirishtimes.com, first report
    ‘They tortured us,’ one of seven Latvians trafficked to Ireland tells court after first conviction of its kind

    First conviction of its kind in the Republic of Ireland for human trafficking on the basis of labour exploitation; sentencing adjourned to 9 June 2026 before Judge John Aylmer.

    accused, Georgijs Poniza, 37, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Georgijs Ponizaaccused, Armen Pogosyan, 30, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Armen Pogosyanvictim, Latvian, non-irish