Call to change law to stop sale of stolen goods

BUSINESS leaders in Cork are seeking urgent changes to legislation to stop burglars selling on stolen goods to certain outlets in the city with “near impunity”.

Cork Business Association (CBA) chief executive Donal Healy says he firmly believes that burglars had outlets in Cork where they can off-load their haul with ease – because they are not asked for documentary proof of their identity.

Mr Healy said that some outlets, including “mobile” gold-buying operations, were not in the business of checking the identities of the people who came to sell their wares. He added that nobody knew – unlike established shops regularly visited by weights and measures officials – if their weighing scales were accurate, or, if they were quoting the exact market price for the precious metal on the day, as is the case with established buyers.