ABOUT 20 people who bought cars and vans in the Cork areas face losing their money after the vehicles were impounded by gardai investigating a stolen car racket.
An operation set up by gardai based in Mallow, Co Cork, at Christmas has so far yielded 20 suspect vehicles, including top-of-the-range models. Among the cars seized are an Opel Calibra, a Mitsubishi Shogun, a Mercedes and a Toyota Celica. Three Ford Transit vans were also recovered.
The vehicles, most of which were less than two years old, were sold privately and recovered by, gardai in Cork, Limerick and Galway. Investigating officers believe they were stolen in Britain - mainly in Manchester and London - and shipped to the Republic for sale.
Gardai said they were following a number of lines of inquiry, but as yet no arrests have been made.
Purchasers of stolen cars who have been left out of pocket have little prospect of retrieving their money unless they can successfully pursue a civil case against the seller.