'Cigarette Gang’ continue to elude gardaí

GARDAÍ chasing thieves who have stolen more than €5m in cigarettes now communicate by mobile phone because the criminals are eavesdropping on their radio conversations.

The so-called Cigarette Gang, which may be behind an armed robbery in Navan, Co Meath and the theft of €20,000 in cigarettes, has eluded gardaí for the last five years.

“In areas where the radio system isn’t digitised, it can be listened into. There are still a number of analogue systems in operation but they are being phased out,” a garda source said.