Gardaí believe organised gangs may be behind the theft of hundreds of expensive mobile phones in Cork each year which end up being sold on the black market in Eastern Europe.

Gardaí have warned women to be careful when withdrawing cash from ATMs and financial institutions in Cork City due to a high risk of robbery.

CONCERN has been raised about the level of violence used in mobile phone thefts.

The global trade association for mobile operators and leading manufacturers including Motorola, Nokia and Siemens have agreed on measures to reduce the theft of mobile phones in the world.

A HUGE surge in mobile phone theft has resulted in 40 mobile phones being reported stolen every day, according to official figures released yesterday.