Gardai say theft of Dublin cars drop after crime gang busted...

HellFireClub

AN 'Aladdin's Cave' of stolen car parts has been uncovered by gardai after a raid targeting a major crime gang.
Hundreds of thousands of euro worth of stolen cars and car parts were seized in the swoop on a warehouse in Co Meath.
The haul has been described by a senior garda as "one of the most significant in the past 12 months".
Three middle-aged men were arrested and charged under the Criminal Justice, Theft and Fraud Offences Act with handling a stolen vehicle. Further charges are expected in the coming weeks.
The men were questioned by gardai before being released on bail pending court appearances later this month.
All are considered senior figures in the gang, which, along with two other crime syndicates, accounts for the majority of car thefts in the greater Dublin area.
Following the arrests, gardai experienced an immediate and noticeable decrease in levels of recorded car crime.
Officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation carried out the raid on an isolated warehouse near Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, last week.
The gang used the warehouse to run a legitimate car-parts business as a front for its activities by selling goods online and through magazines.
Seized
Hundreds of parts from 18 separate cars were seized by gardai in the raid. They also recovered one complete vehicle that the gang had not yet dismantled.
Criminals are typically paid €1,000 for every stolen car they deliver. But once dismantled, the parts from a family saloon can easily net higher-up members of a gang €10,000.
Any parts containing serial numbers that could be traced to a stolen vehicle had been dumped by the gang.
They had also disposed of all but one of the engines from the stolen cars.


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/stash-of-stolen-car-parts-found-after-gardai-target-gang-2622184.html

I just posted this because I think it's surreal the way they notice an immediate response in the figures after they discovered this, must have been no small operation...

18 seperate cars in bits, all but one engine gone and one car there not stripped. Any drop in car theft that coincided with this find would be just coincidense I would think. Media reports of Garda finds are always OTT, kiloes of cut down Daz value being estimated off €70/gram street prices etc.

flutered

do any one believe that only one crowd does this, as with every illigal operation there is always some ready to step in and fill the void.

HellFireClub

I'd love to know how they solve these kind of crimes, like where they get their intelligence from??? Must be hard to tie it down when its being fronted by another "legit" business...

cadaliac

HellFireClub wrote: »

I'd love to know how they solve these kind of crimes, like where they get their intelligence from??? Must be hard to tie it down when its being fronted by another "legit" business...

I often thought this too. It must be word of mouth or pressure from Gardaí on scumbags who will spill the beans to save their own skin.
Ireland is a small place and if the car operation was as big as they make out, there would have been plenty of people involved and you know what happens when too many people are trying to keep a secret.....

HellFireClub

HellFireClub wrote: »

I'd love to know how they solve these kind of crimes, like where they get their intelligence from??? Must be hard to tie it down when its being fronted by another "legit" business...

cadaliac wrote: »

I often thought this too. It must be word of mouth or pressure from Gardaí on scumbags who will spill the beans to save their own skin.
Ireland is a small place and if the car operation was as big as they make out, there would have been plenty of people involved and you know what happens when too many people are trying to keep a secret.....

Ever read the paper and see someone getting a suspended sentance for quite a serious crime

Yakult

Such a big case and so significant yet they released them, albeit on bail.. Whats the betting that no prosecutions will be made from this, they will probably just flee and start over somewhere else.

Yakult

Yakult wrote: »

Such a big case and so significant yet they released them, albeit on bail.. Whats the betting that no prosecutions will be made from this, they will probably just flee and start over somewhere else.

they'll defo be done for this as the insurance companies would have paid out, someone will get time, maybe not the brains behind the operation though.

BlackWizard

RoverJames wrote: »

they'll defo be done for this as the insurance companies would have paid out, someone will get time, maybe not the brains behind the operation though.

Thats exactly it though. The mechanics and shop hands that were working on the vehicles were arrested and charges will be brought against them and the garage owner.

But really the main criminals who organise the whole operation from sourcing to delivering are still out there. Just looking for a new shop to supply.

Also did I not read in the article that its the biggest bust they have had in 12 months? So I wonder what the last one was like. And if this is a common thing.

biko

Reminds me of when the UK police caught a family stealing caravans.
Thefts dropped by 50%.

The number of caravans stolen dropped from 848 to 454 in a year after the four men were arrested.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246466/Police-smash-Irish-traveller-gang-suspected-half-caravan-thefts-UK.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1256366/Irish-traveller-gang-half-caravan-thefts-UK-jailed-25-years.html

biko

biko wrote: »

Reminds me of when the UK police caught a family stealing caravans.
Thefts dropped by 50%.

They used a special key iirc, a pie key :pac:

L-M

RoverJames wrote: »

They used a special key iirc, a pie key :pac:

LOL :L

OldmanMondeo

In fairness this is great news. I work in the part business and a lot of local motor factors and a lot of staff in our place have lost jobs / business from internet parts companies. Maybe people will start to think again about buying parts off the net, you can not be to sure where they came from, and next time it could be your car.

Only the other week a neighbour told me he seen someone checking my car out, tried all the doors and the boot at around 11:30 at night. he then seen a white van with a car trailer attached. Guess now my car would have been on their list.

pajo1981

"All are considered senior figures in the gang, which, along with two other crime syndicates, accounts for the majority of car thefts in the greater Dublin area. "

These were no lowly mechanics.
Put the ****ers away for a long long time.

hardCopy

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

In fairness this is great news. I work in the part business and a lot of local motor factors and a lot of staff in our place have lost jobs / business from internet parts companies. Maybe people will start to think again about buying parts off the net, you can not be to sure where they came from, and next time it could be your car.

Only the other week a neighbour told me he seen someone checking my car out, tried all the doors and the boot at around 11:30 at night. he then seen a white van with a car trailer attached. Guess now my car would have been on their list.

But sure how do we know that any local motor factors doesn't have a chop shop out back?

Selling online doesn't make them any more dodgy than a bricks and mortar retailer.

OldmanMondeo

hardCopy wrote: »

But sure how do we know that any local motor factors doesn't have a chop shop out back?

Selling online doesn't make them any more dodgy than a bricks and mortar retailer.

Most motor factors, as in the guys around for years wouldn't, sames goes for bricks and motar places. These guys pay their taxes, employ people and offer a decent service. Ever go into a motor factors with a problem with your car while doing a DIY job? On line seller won't help you. Ever get part wrong by mistake, Local guy will help you out, internet sellers might, but it will take a lot longer.

As we all know this country is fecked, so try putting your money into our economy and help keep our jobs...

hardCopy

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Most motor factors, as in the guys around for years wouldn't, sames goes for bricks and motar places. These guys pay their taxes, employ people and offer a decent service. Ever go into a motor factors with a problem with your car while doing a DIY job? On line seller won't help you. Ever get part wrong by mistake, Local guy will help you out, internet sellers might, but it will take a lot longer.

As we all know this country is fecked, so try putting your money into our economy and help keep our jobs...

I've no problem paying extra when I need advice along with a product, that's what you pay extra for in a local shop.

I don't do much DIY on the car but often go to local bike shops when I'm fixing my bike.

I just don't think it's fair to imply that online retailers are more inclined to be crooked. As long as you suss out their reputation and trust them to deliver what you order. Online retailers employ people too and some even have showrooms.

People were stealing cars before the internet came along.

Motor factors' sell new parts
Easy to know they haven't come off a robbed car that's chopped up out the back really.

OldmanMondeo

hardCopy wrote: »

I've no problem paying extra when I need advice along with a product, that's what you pay extra for in a local shop.

I don't do much DIY on the car but often go to local bike shops when I'm fixing my bike.

I just don't think it's fair to imply that online retailers are more inclined to be crooked. As long as you suss out their reputation and trust them to deliver what you order. Online retailers employ people too and some even have showrooms.

People were stealing cars before the internet came along.

I agree that not all internet providers are selling stolen car parts, or every scrap yard to that matter, however, it is easier to now a local factor that is dodgy, as per RoverJames comment, to an internet provider whom you don't know where is or who they are...

Car theft in the past was more for joyriding than current business of selling the parts on.