Three Irish men have been extradited to Northern Ireland as part of a police investigation into a machete attack in Co Fermanagh in 2019.
The three men – understood to be related – are aged 55, 33 and 29.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) sought the arrest of the three men in the Republic to stand trial for offences including grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of offensive weapons with intent.
The men have been extradited in relation to the incident in which attackers with machetes made their way into a family home on Trasna Way in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, late on a Saturday evening in November 2019.
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The PSNI said on Thursday that the extradition had been completed and the three men appeared at Newry magistrates court.
A PSNI detective said the extradition “demonstrates our commitment to tracking down those wanted for serious offending”.
An Garda Síochána “worked closely” with its northern counterparts to “trace, arrest and return these suspects to our jurisdiction where they will now face trial”, he said.
The PSNI vowed to “relentlessly pursue those who are trying to delay or deny justice to victims of crime.”
An Garda Síochána said in a statement that the “successful operation demonstrates effective cross-Border co-operation between the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s extradition team and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, ensuring that wanted fugitives are extradited in accordance with statutory requirements”. No further information was available at this time, it said.
The Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases. It said “Following Brexit, extradition between Ireland and the United Kingdom is no longer processed under the European Arrest Warrant system and has, instead, been replaced by a similar extradition arrangement under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Warrants issued under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement are referred to as Trade and Cooperation Agreement warrants (or “TCA warrants”).”
