Six people from Ennis and West Clare are currently being detained.
Gardaí have arrested six people in Clare as part of an ongoing operation targeting suspected organised crime.
As part of the operation, uniform and detective Gardaí from the Clare Division arrested six people in Ennis and the West Clare area on Tuesday morning, 1 June.
The six people, five men and one woman, are currently being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Ennis, Shannon and Kilrush Garda Stations.
This organised crime group are believed to be involved in the theft of catalytic converters and the sale of the precious metals contained within.
Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran said last month that there was a massive rise in catalytic converter thefts in the area.
While all other categories of property crime fell in the first quarter, year-on-year, there was a 115% increase in thefts from vehicles.
“Catalytic converters are very much the target. Significant arrests and in-roads have been made in this regard,” he told the Clare Champion.
According to the publication, Clare’s Crime Prevention Office has been actively raising awareness of the issue for several months.
Replacing a catalytic converter can cost up to €2,500 and are frequently stolen because of the increasing prices in the scrap metal market.
Gardaí are advising using property marking to tag the catalytic converter welding bolts shut to act as a deterrent, use casing available through garages and park their cars in well-lit areas, as close as possible to the wall of your house to make it harder to access the underside of the vehicle.
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