Back-up alarms urged as gang takes €60,000 in raids

BUSINESSES in south Munster have been warned to install back-up alarm systems after a gang got away with nearly €60,000 in three separate raids.

The gang first struck at Castlelyons in east Cork where they went down manholes and cut electrical cables, disconnecting the alarm system at the local post office, which is housed in the Glanbia centre.

They used a ladder, which had been earlier stolen from a farm at Aghern, near the village of Conna, to scale the front of the building and smash an alarm.

Gardaí say the gang, which could have been up to six-strong, used angle grinders to cut open the post office safe and fled with over €30,000 in cash.

“The robbery was discovered by a delivery man at around 5am last Sunday morning. He found the front door smashed in and immediately alerted the gardaí,” a senior garda spokesman said.

He said the robbery could have taken place any time between 8pm the previous day and 5am on Sunday, although the likelihood is it happened during the early hours of Sunday.

After robbing the post office the gang then headed a few miles down the road to Mapp Foods in Rathcormac where they again disabled the alarms by cutting cable outside the premises.

“The building is on the back road between Castlelyons and Rathcormac. Approximately €2,000 was taken from the company’s office,” the spokesman added.

Later the gang headed to Cappoquin, west Waterford, where they carried out another robbery.

“They got into the office at Cappoquin Chickens by removing a window in the building. They then used an angle grinder and other heavy equipment to cut open the safe,” a Dungarvan-based garda spokesman said. “It would definitely have taken them a number of hours to cut into the safe and there would have been considerable noise.”

While the factory is situated on the outskirts of the town, on the Villierstown road, gardaí believe there are people who might have either seen the gang or heard the noise.

“The robbery could have taken place any time between 8pm on Friday night at 7am on Sunday, although it is likely it was early on Sunday,” the spokesman said. He added that extensive damage was done to the office.

Gardaí say businesses should install back-up alarm systems which are not operated from the mains and which would kick into action if the electrical system was cut off.

“Businesses should consult with their local crime prevention officer who would help them. We are also advising businesses to ensure their CCTV systems are functioning properly at all times,” the spokesman said.

Gardaí have not ruled out the possibility that the same gang was responsible for a recent attempted raid on Dawn Meats in Charleville, and a robbery at a sausage factory in Mitchelstown.

Anybody with information on the robberies is asked to contact Fermoy Garda Station at (025) 82100 or Dungarvan Garda Station at (058) 48600.