Organised crime gangs ‘flying in to steal iPhones’

Organised crime gangs are flying into Ireland in order to carry out weekend raids on stores selling smartphones, a retail body has said.

Retail Excellence, which represents more than 1,600 companies across the country, told TDs and Senators at a crime briefing in Leinster House criminals are targeting Dublin for weekend theft sprees to steal thousands of euro worth of iPhones, before leaving the country undetected.

Lorraine Higgins of Retail Excellence said anecdotal evidence from store owners as well as information obtained from loss prevention professionals highlighted how criminal gangs were targeting one or two stores at a time, grabbing lucrative merchandise and leaving the country in a highly organised fashion. Other issues highlighted include the use of children by adults to steal goods, and violent acts carried out on retailers.