THE continued targeting of computer component depots by criminals is a reflection not just of the value to size ratio of the stolen goods but the ease with which they can disappear on the black market.
Relative to size, disk drives do not have the same value as previous hauls of microchips. But microchips are currently in a cyclical slump, according to the editor of ComputerScope magazine.
Mr David D'Arcy said the stolen disk drives were probably for use by smaller PC manufacturers because of the quantities involved, rather than for customer users who can buy a disk drive to upgrade their computer capacity.
"There is ample scope in that smaller market for guys to sell contraband components such as disk drives," he said.
The component typically measures about six by three by one inch, and £400,000 worth of disk drives could be smuggled in a Transit van, according to one computer source.
Each unit would be worth between £100 and £300, depending on its capacity.
"There is a worldwide shortage of disk drives. Just about every manufacturer on the planet has back ordered out the door," Mr D'Arcy said.
He added that disk drives were an integral part of all computers. If a computer was compared to an office, then the disk drive was comparable to a filing cabinet, he said.
"It is the permanent archive store of a computer. They are a significant proportion of the overall value of the PC (Personal Computer)," he said.
Disk drives are manufactured at three locations in Ireland by Seagate in Clonmel and Derry and by Quantum in Dundalk, Co Louth.
One specialist who regularly attends a security forum of computer companies and gardai said the latest robbery was a big problem for freight forwarders, who store shipments in distribution warehouses.