Luggage thief hid in suitcase on bus
A juvenile and a young man were arrested by gardaí in Mitchelstown on Saturday afternoon after a 17-year-old youth was found in a suitcase on board an Air Coach bus travelling from Dublin to Cork.
The bag also contained a laptop and a camera, taken from the bag of another passenger. Gardaí believe that the route had been targeted in recent weeks, while a follow-up search of a house in Cashel revealed a haul of suspected stolen goods, comprising two laptops, eight cameras and more than a dozen handbags, all with a total estimated worth of €10,000.
An 18-year-old man was due before Cashel District Court yesterday in connection with the incident. However, the man failed to turn up at court and a bench warrant has now been issued for his arrest.
It was first thought that passengers on board the Air Coach had heard rumblings coming from the baggage hold and that the driver informed gardaí.
Yesterday, it emerged that a passenger on board the bus had spotted some people acting suspiciously when the bus stopped to pick up passengers in Cashel and informed the driver that a stowaway might be on board.
The Gardaí were then notified and, when the bus stopped in Mitchelstown, they began their search of the vehicle.
When they did not find anyone upstairs, they then checked the baggage hold and started sorting through the bags.
It was at that point that they found a 17-year-old juvenile in a suitcase which was fully zipped up.
It is understood he had two torches in his possession, while a laptop and camera — stolen from the luggage of another passenger, believed to be a Polish man — was also in the bag, which could be unzipped from inside.
Both the youth and an 18-year-old man who had been seated on the coach were then arrested.
