Members of Irish travelling community on the run in Oz!

Xavi6

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article5014900.ece

Irish rogue traders on the run in Australia

A GANG of up to 50 Irish nationals are on the run in Australia after being implicated in a nationwide trading scam involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Australian police and immigration authorities believe that up to 50 members of the Irish travelling community have breached their holiday visa conditions by touring the country in white vans and trucks selling sub-standard electrical equipment at inflated prices.

They have reportedly fooled a large number of Australians into paying over the odds for the products in what police described as the “oldest trick in the book”.

The rogue traders are believed to be from Limerick and are operating alongside some British nationals. The scam has become so well known that it has made national headlines.

Immigration officials say the men flew into Australia in small groups throughout July and August, mainly on tourist documents. Officials have indicated that they wish to send them home but the Office of Fair Trading in one state plans to prosecute them if found.

The scam artists have been selling generators, air compressors, high-pressure cleaners and fire-fighting pumps. The goods are sub-standard and the prices extortionate, leading to complaints. In one instance in New South Wales the men obtained $13,000 (€6,745) in cash from an elderly woman for goods worth only a few hundred dollars.

They are believed to have been operating in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Michael Cooper, director of the OFT in New South Wales, said the men are experienced operators with a long track record in deception. “They might have been operating in Australia for years in smaller numbers but this is the first time that around 30-50 have been brought to our attention at any one time.

“They approach members of the public by knocking on doors or selling products out of the back of a white van. By the time police are alerted, they pack up and vanish without a trace.”

Cooper said the courts could impose a maximum fine of $22,000 on someone who is prosecuted for breaching the Fair Trades Act. “We are liaising with the police and immigration authorities to find and prosecute the men in court.”

A spokesman for the Australian police said: “It’s not a criminal matter — it’s really a matter for the OFT as the men have broken trading regulations.”

Under Australian law traders who travel from place to place selling goods worth more than $50 are required to comply with the Fair Trading Act 1987, which includes giving the consumer a 10-day cooling off period.

Lol from Limerick I see!

BarryCreed

hey hey watch it Xavi. I'm a Limerick man

One thing I noticed in Aus, was "hey! no travellers!" . I guess they had to get there eventually. My cousin from Perth spent his time here last year taking pics of odd looking travellers....

You can take the man out of Limerick......:o:pac:

pucan

The version i read(in an aussie paper) had them as english travellers.

Xavi6

Australian authorities have just issued photos of some of the suspects -





:pac:

One Cold Hand

They've also released a photo of one of the English families, here.

watna

Careful now boys, I know nothing terrible has been said yet but I really don't want this to turn in to an AH style traveller bashing thread. Lets just stick to the story at hand. Spanks!

One Cold Hand

Yeah Xavi. Gawwd!

Mahatma coat

Yeah Xavi we have '878' to elaborate on these things :D

catbear

looks like some other "irish tourists" were more unlucky in new zealand

"Irish tourists robbed at gunpoint
8:00AM Tuesday Oct 28, 2008

Police are looking for two men who pointed guns at four tourists before making off with their van.

Senior sergeant Sue Leach said the two men were seen in the Dargaville Caltex petrol station at 11.15pm on Sunday, just over an hour before they pointed guns at the four Irish tourists.

She said the contents of the tourists' van includes generators and waterblasters.

Senior sergeant Leach said one of the men is described as Maori, in his thirties, with a beard and bad teeth. He had a blue scarf around his face and was wearing a jacket, hoodie and track pants."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10539674

i've done the campervan thing in NZ but what the hell would tourists be doing with generators and waterblasters?

The_B_Man

Tourists in question=Cream crackers mentioned in OP.

Xavi6

Wonder was there any lino goin....

Mahatma coat

Hmm Knick knacks Vs Maoris