GARDAI investigating the attacks on elderly people in the west have confirmed that a significant number of raids have resulted from victims being singled out and information on them passed to gangs who then committed the robberies.
In some cases information has been obtained locally and passed to others based in the region or in other parts of Ireland or Britain. The "casing out" has been a business arrangement, often done with the help of a mobile phone. In other instances there are family links between those in a specific area and the gangs.
Gardai investigating the killing of a retired Galway farmer, Mr Tommy Casey (68), and those involved in what is known as Operation Shannon have built up a clearer picture of how some of the gangs are operating.
The chief suspects, a majority of whom are based within the region stretching from Sligo to Clare, have been under close surveillance. Other groups based in the west are operating wholly on their own and are not part of the network
Chief Supt Joe Kilgannon of Roscommon East Galway division, where Operation Shannon is centred, confirmed the existence of a criminal network.
"These people have nothing to do only plan. It would be naive to think they are not networking. They don't drive 100 miles into an area without targets being signalled by others."
This underlined the essential need for the public to develop "a sense of curiosity" and to, report suspicious cars and people in their area.
The sixth person to be arrested and questioned about the murder of Mr Casey was released without charge yesterday after being detained at Mill Street Garda station, Galway, for over 16 hours under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act. The 26 year old woman had been arrested in the Hillside area of Galway but lives near Ennistymon, Co Clare.
Meanwhile a 19 year old man, also from the Ennistymon area, was released without charge yesterday morning after being questioned in Galway about the Casey killing.