Tool thieves' international 'swap shop' uncovered
A crack Garda team, based out of Cavan Garda Station, have uncovered what they believe to be a ‘Swap Shop’ system for stolen tools operating between criminals in here and the UK.
Inspector Niall McKiernan of Cavan Garda Station revealed details of the racket in an exclusive interview with the Celt after they carried out a major operation in the region in the last couple of weeks.
They seized over 300 assorted tools, chainsaws and lawnmowers in a major haul from a van stopped near the Cavan/Fermanagh Border.
“We stopped a van and we seized the contents of the van, which contained 310 assorted tools – from a lawnmover to a hand drill to chainsaws,” Insp McKiernan confirmed.
He said that the Gardaí at Cavan have made a major breakthrough in such cases. They identified tools found here as having been stolen in the UK in the last six months. He said they are currently investigating the origin of all the other tools.
The operation is directed by Superintendent James Coen and co-ordinated on the ground by Insp Niall McKiernan and Detective Sergeant Sharon Walsh. It was designed to target consignments of tools in transit to markets and crossing the Border in both directions.
Senior gardaí have confirmed that the emerging trend is that stolen tools destined for sale at locations in the Republic are sourced in the North, or in Britain. They point to vehicles recently stopped at Dublin Port which were found to contain tools stolen in England.
The tool thieves are employing a lucrative cross channel trade to avoid detection from the authorities in either jurisdiction. “The people we are dealing with are intelligent... Stuff that is stolen in Cavan will not be sold in say Fermanagh – they will take it further afield,” explained Insp McKiernan.
Until now, if the gardaí checked the serial numbers of second hand tools on sale here, they would indicate they emanated from the UK but the authorities would not have access to reports of their theft. Similarly, when British police check markets in their jurisdiction, they find that the tools came from the Republic.
Insp McKiernan said they will be engaging with their colleagues in the PSNI in Northern Ireland as further operations are planned.
The items seized will be placed on the new Garda Facebook page to assist Cavan gardaí in identifying ownership.