Convicted sex offender Mian Mujahid Ali Shahid, who was taken off a plane bound for Dubai at Dublin Airport on Monday night, has been remanded in custody to appear before an extradition court at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Shahid (19) was arrested on foot of a European Extradition Warrant issued by police in the UK where he is wanted to serve a 30 months jail sentence for sexual assault.

Garda Enda Ledwith told Mr Justice Anthony Hunt in the High Court on Tuesday that he entered the Emirates aircraft on the apron at Dublin Airport and questioned Shahid as to his identity, which he had confirmed, and produced the warrant.

He said he had taken Shahid off the plane and cautioned and arrested him, taking him to Clontarf Garda station for processiong of the warrant.

Shahid was convicted in his absence at Stafford Crown Court on April 13th last of two counts of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman. A month later he was sentenced to 30 months, also in his absence.

Mr Justice Hunt was told that the national media in Ireland had been used in the search for Shahid, who was believed to have moved from Scotland to Ireland earlier this year. He had been last seen in the Foynes area of Limerick in early August.

Barrister Anne Marie Lawlor, counsel for the Chief State Solicitor, asked the judge to remand Shahid in custody to appear at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Wednesday.

Garda Ledwith told the court Shahid had shown him a temporary Pakistani passport which he had held and handed into court. Shahid had been able to confer with him very well in English and had understood everything he was saying to him.

He told barrister Cormac Quinn, counsel for Shahid, that there had been a difficulty with an initial European Arrest Warrant that had been issued for his client but this had been renewed and sanctioned by the High Court.

Shahid will be able to consent to his surrender to the UK authorities or contest his extradition at a full hearing which, the judge said, may not take place for a number of weeks.