MOTORISTS WHO car-pool and leave their vehicles parked along roads leading to the M1 motorway are being targeted by criminals.
They are putting on yellow fluorescent jackets, passing themselves off as a break-down service and towing cars away.
Senior gardaí are warning motorists of the risks and saying they should instead consider paying to park in a safe place.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the same people park in the same spot every morning and leave their car parked up for up to eight hours, maybe more,” a Garda source said.
The M1 is one of the most heavily trafficked in the country and many people use it to commute from Monaghan, Meath, Louth and even the North into Dublin.
In the last year more workers are car-pooling or parking up to take a bus for the rest of the journey. However, they are parking on the hard shoulders of many roads that lead to interchanges to the M1.
The most popular are the Ardee link road, the Charleville interchange and in recent weeks the Drogheda north interchange.
“People pass no remarks when they see what appears to be a legitimate tow truck or breakdown truck towing away a car. They generally target jeeps and high-powered vehicles,” the Garda warned.
People in Border counties who park on a regular basis for a full day are really at risk
A lot of commuters will car-pool or park up and then get a bus into Dublin and they think they are saving parking fees in the capital by parking up.
It is rare that a stolen vehicle is recovered.
Gardaí in Louth and Meath are warning that jeeps, SUVs and other fast cars are being targeted by criminals with cross-Border operations.