Garda warning after ‘cigarette gang’ raids

GARDAÍ believe that members of an infamous “cigarette gang” may have been behind a raid on a service station in north Cork.

The raid in Charleville bore all the hallmarks of the Dublin-based gang who disabled the service station’s alarm system by cutting nearby telephone wires.

Detectives think that the gang struck at the Statoil filling station shop on the Limerick road between 12.30am and 4am yesterday.

After disabling the alarm system they broke into the shop and forced open a number of small safes.

It is believed they got away with about €3,000 in cash and a further €3,000 worth of cigarettes.

The gang used a jack-hammer to try and break into the shop.

Gardaí believe that at least two intruders entered the premises, but it is possible that they had more accomplices on lookout and waiting in a getaway vehicle.

Detectives preserved the scene yesterday and carried out a technical examination in the hope of finding clues to the identity of the robbers.

A senior Garda spokesman said that the raid was similar to one that was carried out last February at the Corbett Court restaurant, just south of the town. During that raid the thieves made off with a substantial haul of cash.

“Businesses in the region should be advised that this gang may target more premises. We are advising businesspeople not to keep large sums of cash in their premises and we are also advising them to install wireless alarm systems. These systems cannot be disabled by cutting telephone wires,” the spokesman said.

He added that gardaí were particularly interested in hearing from anybody who may have been around the Statoil station, or who may have walked into the town from the Charleville Park hotel after closing time.

Anybody with information is asked to contact Charleville gardaí on 063 81222 or Mallow gardaí at 022 21105.