Around 100 gardaí and customs officers mounted the anti-rural crime Operation Storm in the Thomastown area of Co Kilkenny on Wednesday. The day was the last of six conducted over the past three weeks, with 63 arrests for burglary, theft, criminal damage, fraud, assault and drug offences. Two vehicles were seized after diesel dipping.
Around 100 gardaí and customs officers mounted the anti-rural crime Operation Storm in the Thomastown area of Co Kilkenny on Wednesday.
The day was the last of six conducted over the past three weeks, with 63 arrests for burglary, theft, criminal damage, fraud, assault and drug offences. Two vehicles were seized after diesel dipping.
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One of Wednesday’s arrests was a man identified in an alleged attempt to steal diesel from trucks parked on a farm in south Kilkenny last weekend.
“This time of year, we have many fuel thefts in tanks, tractors and milk lorries,” Thomastown district Superintendent Ger Egan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
The officers – many of whom are part-time farmers – were dispatched on search and arrest warrants, vehicle checks and community engagement through the vast rural district.
Report crimes
Supt Egan and crime prevention officer sergeant Peter McConnon attended a meeting with farm representatives, urging farmers to join community alert schemes and report all crimes.
“Don’t think ‘I’m not going to bother the guards.’ Call us,” said Supt Egan.
Sgt McConnon advised farmers to have at least one shed alarmed to store valuable equipment and mark all their property.
John Phelan, a tillage, beef and dairy farmer, showed the Irish Farmers Journal a trailer recently stolen from his farm in Glenmore and recovered two weeks later.
He had welded his phone number on to the chassis and gardaí called him after seizing stolen property.
“As soon as I buy a tool, I do the same thing,” John said.
Kilkenny IFA chair James Murphy welcomed the efforts of the gardaí and suggested dedicated liaison officers to contact on farm crimes, and more action on uncontrolled dogs threatening sheep.
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