Tag Archives: gardai

A WOMAN was scammed out of over €1,700 while trying to rent a property she saw online, Clare gardaí have confirmed. This is one of a number of economic frauds that have been reported to gardaí prompting Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks to advise would-be renters to be alert for potential scams. Sergeant Brooks said the woman saw a property to rent on Daft, and began a WhatsApp conversation with the person purporting to be the landlord. “She was requested to pay €1,742 into his account which she did. This advertisement has since been removed from Daft and she can’t contact the landlord,” Sergeant Brooks explains. The crime prevention officer urged, “Don’t be tricked into paying a deposit for a property that does not exist or has already been rented.” She advised “Do your homework – look at the average rent price in the area and if the rent is unusually low and it seems too good to …

BURGLARIES rise by up to 20% during the winter months with one in six winter time burglaries involving entry through an unsecured access point, gardaí in Clare have warned. According to Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks, “Operation Thor is a nationwide Garda operation which increases the number of Garda patrols carried out during the winter months in an effort to prevent burglaries from rising. Unfortunately, they do rise by up to 20% during the winter months. Operation Thor was first launched in 2015 and it has proven to be very successful in the fight against household burglaries and related crimes. It is hoped that people will feel safer in their homes but of course they too have a part to play in crime prevention.” She has issued advice on how home owners can make their homes more secure. “Whether at home or going out, turn on some lights, use timer switches. We are coming into the dark winter …

GARDAI in Clare have seized cocaine with an estimated value of €35,000, two air guns and arrested a man following a search this morning, Saturday, October 16. As part of Operation Tara, Gardaí attached to the Clare Divisional Drugs Unit and Kilrush Garda Station conducted a search in the west Clare region. During the course of the search, Gardai seized cocaine valued at €35,000 (subject to analysis), along with one air rifle and one air gun. A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested by Gardaí in connection with this seizure and is currently detained at Kilrush Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking Act) 1996. The drugs seized will now be sent for further analysis. Investigations ongoing.

CLARE college students are being warned by gardaí that drug use can “end your career before it starts”. Gardaí in Clare have issued advice to students starting college this month including urging them to “rise above the influence” of drugs. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “Starting off in college is the beginning of something good in your life so don’t let drug use end your career before it starts. “If you use drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ketamine and MDMA, you are committing a criminal offence and also risking addiction, loss of career opportunities, under-achievement, and international travel restrictions. “Taking un-prescribed ‘study’ drugs or sleeping pills can lead to anxiety, addiction and psychosis. Multiple or poly-drug use is extremely dangerous and increases your risk of overdose or death.” She continued, “While An Garda Síochána strive to keep people safe, we also believe that you can also help keep yourself safe. “Contact the emergency services if you become …

WITNESSES to a hit and run collision near an Ennis school, or those who may have dash cam footage, are being urged to contact gardaí, writes Jessica Quinn. Gardaí in the county town are appealing for witnesses following the hit and run which occurred at 8.01pm on Friday, September 10, at the traffic lights near Colaiste Muire secondary school on Harmony Row. The driver of a black 212 Volkswagen Passat had stopped at a red light with the intention of going straight over Club Bridge. “As the driver waited for the green light a silver or grey car that may have had a 10 or 12 registration impacted the rear of the car it then reversed back towards the entrance gates of Colaiste Muire and drove away in the direction of the Maid of Eireann roundabout, said Sergeant Triona Brooks, Clare Crime Prevention Officer. “If anyone witnessed this collision or anyone who may have dash cam footage, we are asking …

PEOPLE of all ages and all walks of life are falling victim to fraud on a daily basis, Clare gardaí have warned. Victims of suspected scams are being urged to contact their local garda station, with assurances that they will be treated with total confidentiality. This comes as reports of yet more frauds operating in the county have come to light. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks outlines a number of incidences during which members of the public were targeted by fraudsters and money was taken from bank accounts. “Unfortunately, again this week a number of people have been the victim of scams One lady got a text from internet banking saying that there had been unusual activity on her account. She followed a link and then realised that two fraudulent transactions on her account. “Two more people got a phone call from a male purporting to be from Amazon saying that their accounts had been compromised and that …

Court users in West Clare are being driven ‘batty’ over the forced closure of the courthouse serving the area for much of the remainder of 2021. This follows the discovery of a colony of rare bats in the attic of Kilrush Courthouse that has prompted the Courts Service to write to solicitors, Gardai and other court users on Wednesday to confirm that Kilrush Courthouse will not hold any scheduled sittings next month, October and possibly November. The Courts Service has told court users that workers at the Kilrush courthouse made the rare bat discovery during a course of roof repairs. The Courts Service note states as the bats are a protected species, “certain procedures must be followed before work on the roof can recommence”. The note states that the repair works “already carried out makes the courthouse unsuitable for court sittings”. A spokesman for the Courts Service said on Wednesday: “No bat roost will be moved from the roof space. …

AN Ennis woman paid out more than €1,600 to scammers in the latest incident of ‘advance fee fraud’ to be reported to gardaí in the county. Fraudsters are using this scam to target vulnerable people and those who have difficulty getting loans from established financial institutions, Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks explains. She is urging Clare people to never apply for a loan from an entity that is not authorised by the Central Bank. Sergeant Brooks confirmed that gardaí received a report of this fraud after a woman in Ennis applied for a loan on-line from a site purporting to be a legitimate loan site. “She was informed that the loan had been granted and asked to pay €699 to guarantee the loan which she paid into a Revolut account. A short time later she received a call from a person looking for a further deposit to pay for administration fees and she then paid €950 into the …