Garda arrested in criminal activity investigation

A SERVING garda was arrested yesterday as part of a long-running investigation into alleged criminal activity in the Wexford region.

The investigation, which has called in the expertise of various Garda specialist units, is understood to be examining the alleged provision of false certificates, including car certificates.

A statement from the Garda Press Office yesterday said: “As part as an ongoing investigation into criminal activity over a number of years, gardaí in Wexford, supported by National Units, including the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, undertook a search of a private dwelling in the New Ross area.”

The statement said the search took place yesterday: “During the course of the search, a man, aged 50 years, was arrested and is currently detained at New Ross Garda Station under the provisions of section 30, Offences Against the State Act. The arrested man is a serving member of An Garda Síochána and has been suspended from duty.”

The suspension is an automatic response once a garda is arrested and under investigation and does not, in itself, carry any suggestion of wrongdoing.

Gardaí said the involvement of the NBCI does not suggest the alleged criminality was of a serious nature, rather it is standard practice when a garda is under investigation.

Sources said local gardaí cannot arrest and interview “one of their own” and officers from outside the area have to conduct the investigation.

A team of officers from the NBCI have travelled from Dublin for the operation.

A unit attached to NBCI, the Stolen Vehicle Investigation Unit, has also been called in. It is understood this is to examine documents relating to a British-registered car.

It is understood the GBFI is involved in the context of any required examination of computer equipment. The GBFI has a specialist computer crime unit, which is the Garda national resource responsible for retrieving computer information.

It is thought the activity under investigation dates from 2004 onwards.

The garda has been arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, relating to the alleged withholding of information.

The garda can be held for two periods of 24 hours, after which investigating officers will either have to release him, seek a court extension for a final 24 hours or bring charges.