Tag Archives: crime

Gardaí have seized €21,500 of suspected cannabis in Clare. Shortly after 7.30pm on Monday, September 21, gardaí from the Kilrush Drugs Unit, assisted by uniform Gardaí from Kilrush, executed a search warrant at a house in the Kilmurry-McMahon area. During the course of the search Gardaí discovered €16,000 of suspected cannabis plants. As Gardaí continued to search the property they discovered €5,500 of suspected cannabis herb. All of the suspected drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. No arrests have been made but Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry.

GARDAÍ are advising car owners to be vigilant following a spate of thefts of catalytic convertors in the county. The latest theft occurred in Clarecastle last week. In the early hours of Wednesday morning last at around 3pm the owner of a car on Patrick Street, Clarecastle discovered the catalytic converter had been cut away from his car. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks explains that the car owner had thought he had heard the sound of a grinder outside his home before making the unfortunate discovery. Sgt Brooks outlined that there were two similar incidents last week in East Clare, and it can cost the owner up to €2,500 to replace the catalytic converter. “It can take as little as three minutes for a thief to remove it which are being stolen because of the increasing prices in the scrap metal market, platinum, rhodium, palladium and other precious metals they employ to clean exhaust emissions, getting €100 to €300 …

LATEST statistics show that 163 mobile phones were reported stolen in Clare since the beginning of 2019. Gardaí are appealing for smartphone owners to be ’Streetwise’ by downloading a trusted “find my phone” app and adding an emergency contact number to their phone as of the €5 million worth of mobile phones stolen nationwide, only 10% are recovered. The appeal follows the release of figures by the Garda Síochána Analysis Service which show that 11,488 mobile phones have been stolen since the beginning of 2019. Of those, only 1,176 have been recovered. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Dean Kerins said, “The price of mobile phones makes them a clear target for criminals, so let’s try and deter them by increasing phone security. If you a have a smartphone, we recommend downloading a trusted location finder app so if it is lost or stolen, you have a better chance of getting it back. Some phones already have a feature like this already so have …

Gardaí in Ennis have launched an investigation after the body of man was discovered in the early hours of Monday morning in the courtyard of an apartment block. Gardaí were alerted that a body was lying on the ground outside at the Mill House Apartments at around 1.25am. The remains have been transferred to University Hospital Limerick for post-mortem. Anybody with any information or who was in the vicinity sometime between 1.15am and 1.30am and who witnessed anything is being asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100.

LOCAL communities around South-East Clare are said to be on high alert currently, over concerns about a spate of dog thefts, as well as the presence of roving burglars. It follows the seizure last week of a number of pedigree breeds by Gardaí in Limerick, following a search in Rathkeale. “People are concerned and extra vigilant at the moment,” said PJ Mason of the Broadford Action Group. “Not just about the dog thefts but about robberies and burglaries more generally.” Mr Mason said that older people are particularly concerned. “I was speaking recently to a senior gentleman,” he outlined, “who is fearful for his dog and I would be saddened to think that people are now living with this fear factor.” The matter has been raised by South-East Clare-based TD, Deputy Cathal Crowe who said drones are believed to be in use by gangs targeting properties. The Fianna Fáil member has called for tougher penalties for offenders and the creation …

GARDAÍ in Clare are warning the public to be wary of potential scam phone calls or texts. This comes after a quick-thinking North Clare resident foiled an attempt by a scam artist to get their financial details over the phone. According to gardaí the man received a phonecall from a 0043 number last week. The person on the other end said they were from Visa security in Dublin and that at 6 am someone had bought a phone on eBay for €150 while at the same time €1,100 was transferred from his account to Brazil. The person asked had they given their card details to anyone. Luckily the Clare man realised the call was suspicious and hung up. In advising people to be wary, Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks revealed that she has also been unsuccessfully targeted by scammers. She outlined that she recently received a text purporting to be from Bank of Ireland. The text stated that her …

Gardai from the Clare Garda Division are involved in a major search operation across counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary targeting organised criminality in Limerick City and its environs. Currently nine people are in custody in relation to this operation. As part of Operation Coronation, in excess of 170 members of gardaí from Limerick, Clare and Tipperary Divisions supported by the Criminal Assets Bureau, Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Emergency Response Unit, the Armed Response Unit and Regional Dog Unit commenced a search operation at over 60 premises this morning at 6am. The operation is also supported by three teams of  Irish Army Search Engineers, the Army EOD team and the Army Helicopter. Operation Coronation is targeting organised extended criminality, drug trafficking and the financial returns achieved from this type of activity through money laundering. This operation is being co-ordinated by Limerick Gardaí to address the accumulation of wealth by those engaged in serious …

THOSE looking for love in Clare are being warned to be wary of online ‘romance scams’ which are reported to be on the rise. According to Clare’s Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Triona Brooks, “Use of the internet for dating purposes has increased and so unfortunately the number of scams associated with it and amounts of money lost.” She particularly warns against responding to requests for inappropriate photographs, saying they could be used for future blackmail attempts. And she has appealed to anybody who feels they have been a victim of an online scammer to contact gardai. Sergeant Brooks explains, “A romance scam is basically a scam employed by criminals which involves pretending to be romantically interested in a person with the objective of gaining their affection and trust with the perceived promise of a continued romantic involvement – the ultimate purpose of the scam is to encourage the victim to transfer funds to accounts in the control of the criminal …