Gardaí set sights on cross-border gang

A suspected cross-border crime gang linked to a spate of burglaries in Cavan and beyond is being pursued by gardaí working alongside the PSNI, it has emerged.

Superintendent Gavin O’Reilly told a meeting of Cavan’s Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) at Hotel Kilmore last week that investigations are ongoing into the activities of an alleged organised crime gang believed to be behind a number of break-ins across the region. While stopping short of revealing operational details, Supt O’Reilly disclosed that Gardaí are also seeking the public’s help in tracing the movements of a “small, dark-coloured vehicle” reportedly seen in areas where suspicious activity has been observed.

The warning comes as burglary figures in Cavan have edged up slightly compared with the same period last year, up to the end of August, some of which are due to a number of break-ins linked to the gang. Supt O’Reilly also highlighted Operation Thor, the national initiative targeting organised crime gangs and repeat offenders, while urging householders to take precautions as darker evenings approach. The Gardaí’s seasonal ‘Lock Up Light Up’ campaign encourages homeowners to secure their properties and make them less attractive targets for opportunistic burglars.

Outlining the scale of local policing efforts, Supt O’Reilly revealed that approximately 1,000 active Garda patrols had been deployed across Cavan’s towns and villages since the start of the year.

Gardaí have also conducted close to 600 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) checkpoints, alongside a further 240 additional stops.

Emphasising the importance of prevention as well as detection, he said: “We want to be proactive.”

He stated that a “significant amount of additional resources” have been put into mounting extra patrols in the previous 10 days, with additional support from the Armed Response Unit.