Of course I'm always pleased when any oddball news item pops up that touches on my multiple spheres of influence (the Prague-Dublin-Cairo axis) but man oh man, this story doesn't make a lick of sense.

Apparently some dangerous Czech gangsters have escaped the Czech Republic and have sought refuge in gangland Ireland.

According to the Irish shadow justice minister, Joe Costello, there are some legal loopholes that allow the gangsters to hang around Ireland for pretty much as long as they want.

Czech News Agency quotes Czech daily Lidove Noviny quoting the Irish Times quoting Irish shadow justice minister Joe Costello criticizing Czech legislation, because it "enables the most wanted criminals from the Czech Republic to live on Irish territory."

Something's been lost in translation here. Czech law allows these gangsters to stay in Ireland? It's the Czechs who are demanding they be sent back to face trial! Why are they quoting the opposition justice minister -- and just what the hell is saying?

Ah, look -- I just found the story as reported by the Irish Times last week. Look, I'm generally a huge fan of legal loopholes, but just seems a bit daft, even by Czech-Irish standards.

The Berdych gang is suspected of murders, abductions, robberies and extortion of rich businessmen in 1996-2002. They even got some crooked Czech cops in on the action during their madcap spree. So I guess over in Ireland, they'll fit right in.