Gardaí in the midlands are investigating an unprecedented spate of airbag thefts from parked cars.
Up to 10 such thefts have been reported in Portlaoise and Portarlington since the beginning of October, with the latest robbery occurring on Monday.
Describing the crime as "very strange", a Garda spokeswoman said nothing else was taken in the break-ins. All the thefts occurred at local train station car parks.
Iarnród Éireann said it was aware of at least two other airbag thefts at its station car park in Donabate, north Co Dublin.
Some motor industry sources speculated that the thieves were after explosives attached to the airbags, which cost on average about €500 each plus VAT.
However, the Automobile Association's public affairs manager, Conor Faughnan, said it understood the bags were being sold to "unscrupulous" repairers, some of whom may be fixing crashed cars as a nixer.
"The market is unscrupulous body shops. If you are reconditioning a car, you could buy one of these airbags for €50 or €100, mark up the invoice to say that you spent €500 or €600, and then pocket the difference. It is easy money if you are unscrupulous enough."
He said it seemed the bags were being stolen to order, adding that drivers should be alert to the possibility of theft.
Sometimes the thieves caused visible damage to the car but other times they took the bags without being noticed, potentially leaving a driver or passenger at added risk, Mr Faughnan said.
He was aware of one theft victim who had been driving his car for some time before noticing the passenger airbag had been tampered with. "It was only when he saw some wires sticking out from under the glove compartment that he realised the airbag was gone."
Mr Faughnan said the stealing of car parts trend seemed to be related to the fact that "it's next to impossible to drive a car away" because of new security features.
Alan Nolan, deputy chief executive of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, said he was unaware of a second-hand market for airbags, adding: "There are easier and more valuable things to take from cars, so it's very strange."
Iarnród Éireann urged anyone who had suffered a theft in one of its car parks to report it immediately so it could check its CCTV cameras and pass on details to the Garda.
