GARDAÍ HAVE arrested a gang they believe has stolen between €150,000 and €250,000 worth of electrical goods and jewellery in a series of burglaries in Dublin and Meath in recent months.
A number of the suspected gang members are minors.
The largest robbery occurred in south inner-city Dublin last week when electrical goods valued at more than €35,000 were stolen from a shop on Camden Street.
Gardaí believe they have identified the gang involved in that crime and are now working on the theory that the same gang has been active for at least the past three to four months in Dublin and Meath.
Businesses, mostly on the south side of Dublin, have been targeted, with high-value electrical goods the most frequently stolen items. These include mobile phones, televisions and electrical appliances.
In Co Meath, including in Duleek and Laytown, some houses and apartments were broken into by the same gang and high-value items including jewellery were stolen.
Gardaí have now recovered some of the stolen property and will return it to the owners.
Other items recovered will be photographed and posted on the Garda website so that the as yet unidentified, owners can claim them.
The suspected gang members were traced to a number of addresses in Dublin’s north inner city.
At 7.30am yesterday the addresses were raided and gardaí arrested nine people.
Most of the arrests were carried out at bedsits on the North Circular Road.
The operation was led by gardaí from Pearse Street Garda station under Supt Joe Gannon.
Of the nine arrested, two are female and seven male.
All are members of the Roma community.
Of the male suspects being detained, five of them, ranging in ages from mid-teens to mid-30s, are being held under section 50 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to seven days without charge. Another two men, aged 22 and 27, are being held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be held for up to 24 hours without charge.
All seven men are being detained at Dublin city Garda stations.
One of the women arrested is 23and was found to have a number of arrest warrants outstanding. She has already been before the courts in relation to those matters.
The other woman is 35 and was yesterday taken to prison in relation to immigration matters. She is expected to be deported.
A large quantity of what are believed to be stolen goods was recovered yesterday.
Gardaí believe other stolen items have already been taken out of the country by the gang.
It is unclear how long the alleged gang members, who are related to each other or have known each other for many years, have been in the Republic.
However, gardaí believe they have been criminally active here since at least mid-summer.