Thieves snatch €6.6m in 3,000 raids

OVER €6.6 million in cash and goods was stolen in robberies and burglaries over the last year, according to garda figures.

Details given by Justice Minister Michael McDowell to the Dáil show that there were almost 3,000 aggravated burglaries and robberies from individuals, transit vehicles or businesses in the past year. The value of the property stolen was €6,665,864 but does not include that taken in common burglaries, where a weapon is not carried or used.

Of 2,901 offences, just one-in-three was detected where the offender or offenders had been identified. However, figures on arrests, charges and convictions were not given in the reply to the question by Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan.