Gang steals €20,000 from parked cars in separate Cork thefts

Drivers have been cautioned against leaving large sums of money in their cars. Just in Cork alone, there has been a spate of car robberies in which a criminal gang has stolen almost €20,000.

Superintendent, Mick Comyns of Mayfield Garda station in Cork advised people withdrawing large sums from their banks to be very careful with their cash and not to leave the car unattended with large amounts of cash inside.

The best advice would be, if you have to collect large sums of money from the bank, it is always best to go home immediately without making any unnecessary stops. It would certainly not be a good idea to stop off at the shop or leave the car unattended in a car park.

The robberies in the Cork area seen six people having money stolen from their cars with sums ranging from €700 to €7,000 shortly after withdrawing cash from banks in the Glanmire and Little Island areas of Cork.

Gardaí believes that the same criminal gang is behind all six thefts. Garda Mick Comyns had the following to say

“All six victims had just left banks with sums of cash which they left in their cars when they went shopping or visiting and they all returned to discover their cars broken into and their money stolen.

“We have checked internal CCTV footage from the banks involved and we can find no sightings of anyone acting suspiciously within the bank so they must be targeting people as they leave the banks.

“We would urge anyone withdrawing cash not to carry it openly in an envelope but to conceal it on their person and not to leave it in their car if they are not returning home immediately,”

It is believed that the gang are following their victims in cars as they drive off from the bank and when the victim parks up and leaves the car unattended, the thieves break into the car to steal the cash.

“They check to see if the driver might have forgotten to lock the car door or if there is any weakness in the car but if that doesn’t work, they are happy to smash the windows to steal the cash.”

Author

Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader in automotive intelligence and vehicle data supply to the entire motor industry. He has almost 20 years experience in building systems from the ground up. As the Managing Director of Vehicle Management System, he understands the need and importance of trustworthy and reliable vehicle history and advice to both the trade and the public.
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