Three days after reporting to the Gardai that there was another suspected ICE flight on the ground at Shannon Airport, we are still waiting for them to provide any information on what they did in response to our request to inspect the plane.

As reported here by journalist Gillian Brockell, the aircraft, a Gulfstream V operated by ICE charter Journey Aviation  with registration N588TN, left the ICE hub of Mesa, AZ, at 2:28 am local time Wednesday, and landed at Shannon Airport eight and a half hours later. Half an hour before it landed, we called the Gardai at Shannon to alert them.

We were told the request would have to go up to a sergeant, then inspector, then superintendent, and perhaps even chief superintendent in order to decide what to do. And of course that would take time.

How much time was unknown, even by the Garda who took the statement. Or so we were told.

Just over an hour later, the plane left. It flew to Cairo International Airport, which ICE has previously used to transfer Russian dissidents and asylum-seekers to Egyptian authorities. They are then typically forced onto planes to Moscow.

As it was about to take off, we were by the Garda station that told the “airport car” had gone down but had not made any contact back with the station. Desipte numerous calls and emails to the superintendent’s office we have been given no further information, except that there are no further details on their PULSE recording system.

The Gardai are required to log the details of all incidents and statements on PULSE, and to enter any updates to the investigation.  

It would appear that the police authorities had very little interest in doing anything about this latest ICE flight through Shannon. This is despite the fact that

As reported in The Guardian newspaper, the people being deported on these planes are forced to sit with their wrists and ankles shackled and to wear body restraints. Even if this does not amount to torture, it is certainly cruel and degrading treatment. And the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture) Act 2000 obliges the state authorities to prevent acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Unless they were sure that there were no deportees shackled on N588TN when it was at Shannon last Wednesday, the Gardai failed in their duty to investigate and probably to prevent a criminal act from taking place.

Finally, it is worth noting that N588TN landed at Shannon Airport at around 6.50 the follow morning (Thursday) on the return leg of its journey.  It spent over 24 hours there so there was plenty of time for the Gardai to question the crew.