GARDAÍ WERE last night continuing to question 10 men arrested as part of a major operation targeting a gang of travelling criminals. They are suspected of carrying out more than 50 burglaries and break-ins across the south of the country which has netted them over €300,000.
The 10 men, all Kosovan Albanians aged between 30 and 44, were arrested in 20 raids across Cork, Kerry, Wexford, Waterford and Limerick early yesterday morning with up to 100 gardaí involved in the operation.
In Cork, one man was arrested in Evergreen Street in the city and brought to Mallow Garda station while two other suspects were arrested in Listowel and Tralee in Co Kerry and brought to Thurles in Co Tipperary for questioning.
Two other suspects arrested in Waterford were brought to Thomastown in Co Kilkenny for questioning while others were being held at Ballybricken station in Waterford city, New Ross in Co Wexford and Cahir in Co Tipperary.
All 10 suspects were arrested under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardaí hold suspects for an initial period of 48 hours but which can be extended up to a maximum of seven days. In addition to detectives drawn from across Munster and south Leinster, yesterday’s operation, codenamed Corncrake, also involved armed members of the Garda Regional Support Unit as well as officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
It is understood that officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau are also involved in the operation which has been in planning by senior gardaí for over three months and which will involve the examination of bank accounts held by the suspects.
Gardaí suspect that the gang were behind over 50 burglaries and break-ins carried out in counties Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford between October 2008 and May 2010.
Among the break-ins which gardaí suspect the gang were involved in were burglaries at post offices in Ardfinnan in Co Tipperary, Ardfert, Ballyduff and Ballymacelligott in Co Kerry and shops in Mallow, Bandon, Charleville and Lissarda in Co Cork.
Gardaí believe the gang have also targeted co-op stores, phone shops and garages, with all the break-ins taking place by night, while the amounts taken range from €120,000 in one raid, down to smaller sums of several thousand euro. According to one senior Garda source, different members of the gang are involved in different burglaries but all the break-ins show the same sophisticated methods, with gang members disabling alarms and then waiting to see if gardaí responded.
The gang, which is believed to include former policemen and military personnel, also use angle grinders and cutting equipment to gain entry to safes and strong rooms. It is thought the gang often spent several hours carrying out the burglaries.
The Irish Timesunderstands gardaí have had some success against the gang in the past when they caught four suspected members trying to break in to a co-op store in Carrigaline in Co Cork last autumn. All four were brought before the courts.
