Arrests made in Longford as gardai crack down on burglaries and identity fraud

Gardai believe they have made a significant breakthrough on a number of local burglaries following the arrest of an 18-year-old man in Granard last week.

The suspect, who was charged but cannot yet be named as he has yet to appear before the courts, was questioned by detectives in relation to break-ins at a pub and industrial premises in the north Longford town.

A series of follow up searches were carried out by officers later that day at a number of locations in Granard as investigators sought to gather further evidence as part of their enquiry.

It was as a result of those efforts that later prompted gardai to charge the man with burglary ahead of an expected court appearance later this month.

It’s also anticipated further charges may be handed down after sources revealed the suspect had been a long term target of gardai under Operation Aimsir. Gardai are also trying to establish whether the the teenager may have been involved in as many as five break-ins in recent months.

Operation Aimsir is a nationwide offensive aimed at stemming rising burglary rates across the country, and the tactic has already proved especially effective within the Granard and north Longford region.

In May, the Leader revealed how a man in his early 40s was arrested following the recovery of up to €80,000 in suspected stolen machinery from a premises in Northern Ireland.

Gardai arrested the man as he made his way through Edgeworthstown before the owner of the items even knew they were stolen.

Separately, gardai arrested and later charged a Ugandan man living in Edgeworthstown in recent days in relation to alleged credit card fraud.

It’s claimed the man attempted to purchase a mobile phone using a stolen card. When the phone company encountered difficulties in carrying out the transaction, gardai were tipped off and arrested the man when the phone was delivered to his door.

As such, gardai have advised members of the public who may have lost or misplaced cards to contact their bank and cancel them immediately.

Consumers are also advised to contact their local branch or card issuer about a tool known as 3D Secure, which protects mastercard or visa cards against unauthorised internet use.