Millions in boat parts stolen by gang

fergal.b

By JIM CUSACK


Sunday August 07 2011

A GANG of military-trained Eastern Europeans has stolen millions of euros worth of outboard engines and marine equipment here and in Northern Ireland over the past three years.

The highly-expert squad, believed to be from the eastern Baltic states, has carried out night-time raids on marinas, suppliers and harbours across Ireland and have yet to be arrested.

The gang has reconnaissance, engineering and logistic skills which gardai believe came from military training. They even carried out overnight robberies during last December's big freeze.

They have carried out operations in which over €100,000 worth of outboard engines and equipment have been taken.

In two raids in Northern Ireland they took 40 outboards from yacht clubs in overnight raids in Co Down.

They are also stealing to order, marine sources say. Last year they took a gearbox from a 175hp outboard in Wexford but left the engine, even though the complete outboard was worth €20,000.

Two weeks ago, they were caught on CCTV as they arrived in two people carriers in the middle of the night at Bullock Harbour in south Dublin, swam out to boats and took away all the petrol containers they could find.

The marine petrol cans cost about €75 each and they left all the mainly low-powered outboard engines alone.

Marinas on the Shannon have been badly hit, with one supplier forced to close last year after having €100,000 worth of outboards and equipment stolen.

In Bullock Harbour last week, Western Marine chandlers were preparing to repair a rigid inflatable when they discovered it had an outboard engine, worth €10,000, previously stolen in Cavan.

In May, the gang used a rigid inflatable dinghy to steal five outboards from boats moored in Skerries. Five days earlier, three rigid inflatable boats and their engines were taken from a house in Greystones, Co Wicklow.

Last month they broke into the Alsaa sports complex near Dublin Airport and stole the Aer Lingus Aqua Club's large rigid inflatable along with a 150hp engine worth €50,000.

More than 1,500 outboard engines, ranging in cost from a few thousand to €20,000, have been recorded stolen in Northern Ireland.

It is not known how many have been stolen in the Republic -- though industry sources say it definitely runs into thousands.

Marine insurance sources say the losses in the Republic in the past three years have run to millions. The industry is having to hike its premiums and owners are hit as engines that have depreciated in value generally have to be replaced by new ones.

Bob Killen of Killen Marine in Dalkey, south Dublin, said he had "many customers" who had outboard engines stolen or knew of thefts.

"They have taken engines and the control box. They did not just cut the wires they were careful to have everything complete. They know what they are doing," he said.

- JIM CUSACK

http://www.independe...ts-2841934.html

mr.mickels

In all fairness, its says alot about the gardai and the security of the marine industry if they can lose that amount of gear without recovery or taking more serious precautionery preventative measures.

Tabnabs

mr.mickels wrote: »

In all fairness, its says alot about the gardai and the security of the marine industry if they can lose that amount of gear without recovery or taking more serious precautionery preventative measures.

I've heard of boats having the transom sawed off to get the engine off. I know in Bullock they waded out chest high into the sea to get at those boats.

What more specific measures would you use to prevent these people from taking your property?

Leidenfrost

This all sounds terrible, Maybe you could try allowing people to rent your boats as apartments?

dnme

Actually, I have always been amazed at boat security in general. I have spent my life looking at boats where the only security id the fact that they are a few feet from the shore. A little tender, a can of petrol and you're away. And then the paid for moorings that seem empty (of security or people) all winter, thousands of boats, seriously expensive hardware, all you need is a toolbox.

Like everything, the market causes the crime. Humans are inherently corrupt so give them a market and they'll supply us - with anything procured by any means.