“Lawrence was escorted from Bloemfontein to Pretoria where she will be handed over to the Irish police, who will take her to Ireland to face murder charges.”
According to the Irish Mirror, the couple was wanted for killing Eoin O’Connor, 32, and Anthony Keegan, 33, in 2014. They reportedly fled Ireland after the brutal killings shocked the nation. The bodies of the close friends were found with gunshot wounds to the head, buried in a shallow grave.
Peters said that the international criminal police organisation's (Interpol's) Pretoria office has arrested more than 60 fugitives wanted on extradition requests and on Interpol's red notice list in the past five years.
Of the 60, 42 fugitives have been successfully extradited and a further 27 extradition requests are before various courts in South Africa.
“NCB Pretoria has also successfully managed to trace and arrange for the apprehension of 11 wanted fugitives who have since been extradited back to South Africa to stand trial.
“The police, through Interpol NCB Pretoria, continue to work closely with global law enforcement partners to ensure that South African wanted fugitives in foreign countries as well as internationally wanted criminals hiding in South Africa are arrested and face justice,” she said.
TimesLIVE
Double murder charge for Irish woman extradited from Bloemfontein
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An Irish national wanted for a double murder in her home country nearly 10 years ago was on Wednesday extradited back to Ireland.
Ruth Lawrence was arrested in October last year in Bloemfontein in connection with the 2014 incident. This after her ex-fiancé, Neville van der Westhuizen, who is believed to have committed the crimes with her, was found to be in a prison in KwaZulu-Natal, serving a 15-year sentence for another murder.
His extradition process is under way in the Durban magistrate's court.
Police spokesperson Maj-Gen Mathapelo Peters said the tracing of Lawrence and the extradition came as a result of collaboration between Irish police, whose team members arrived in South Africa this week, the SAPS, the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) Pretoria, the Hawks, SAPS detectives and crime intelligence.
Interpol SA tracks down fugitives wanted in Ireland for double murder
“Lawrence was escorted from Bloemfontein to Pretoria where she will be handed over to the Irish police, who will take her to Ireland to face murder charges.”
According to the Irish Mirror, the couple was wanted for killing Eoin O’Connor, 32, and Anthony Keegan, 33, in 2014. They reportedly fled Ireland after the brutal killings shocked the nation. The bodies of the close friends were found with gunshot wounds to the head, buried in a shallow grave.
Peters said that the international criminal police organisation's (Interpol's) Pretoria office has arrested more than 60 fugitives wanted on extradition requests and on Interpol's red notice list in the past five years.
Of the 60, 42 fugitives have been successfully extradited and a further 27 extradition requests are before various courts in South Africa.
“NCB Pretoria has also successfully managed to trace and arrange for the apprehension of 11 wanted fugitives who have since been extradited back to South Africa to stand trial.
“The police, through Interpol NCB Pretoria, continue to work closely with global law enforcement partners to ensure that South African wanted fugitives in foreign countries as well as internationally wanted criminals hiding in South Africa are arrested and face justice,” she said.
TimesLIVE
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