Gardai arrest four in raid on organised crime gang

Four members of a Romanian organised crime group, suspected of carrying out commercial burglaries nationwide, have been arrested under anti-gang legislation.

A major Garda operation, involving more than 50 officers, resulted in the seizure of cash, electronic devices, including phones and a car key reader.

The garda team met for a briefing at 5.30am yesterday, drawing members from five divisions — Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, and Wexford.

They were supported by the South Eastern Regional Armed Support Unit and the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. The operation was co-ordinated from the South Eastern Regional Organised Crime Unit under the direction of Detective Superintendent Michael Hennebry.

In raids commencing at 6.30am, 11 homes in the Enniscorthy area of Co Wexford were searched.

During the course of the searches gardaí seized cash, electronic devices, including hones and satellite navigations systems, walkie-talkies, car key reader, a small quantity of cigarettes, and financial documents,” said a Garda statement.

It said that assistance was received from the Dog Handing Unit attached to Customs at Rosslare Port during the searches.

Gardaí arrested four people, three men (two in their 20s and one in his 30s) and one woman (in her 20s).

The four, all Romanian, were detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. The provision they were detained under relates to knowingly participating in, or contributing to, the activities of an organised crime group.

It is thought the gang flies members in and out of the country, typically for a number of months, when they engage in criminality before being flown out and replaced by another crew.

The searches were made under Operation Thor, the dedicated initiative aimed at burglary gangs.

This outfit, it appears, was suspected of being behind a rising number of commercial break-ins to service stations and rural shops in which cash and cigarettes were stolen. Some €1,000 in cash was retrieved yesterday. A search and arrest operation is continuing.