Four suspects arrested in Leitrim after attempted break-in at retail premises

Four people were arrested after they made an alleged attempt to rob a retail premises in Leitrim earlier this week, gardaí have confirmed. 

The four arrests were made as part of Operation Táirge carried out in Carrick-on-Shannon earlier this week.

As part of this operation, Gardaí in Carrick-on-Shannon arrested four people on Tuesday, 8th October, 2024.

Gardaí received a call in relation to an alleged attempted theft that had occurred in a local retail premises.

As a result, the van carrying the four people was stopped and searched in Dromod a short time later.

Two men aged in their 30s and two women aged in their 20s were arrested and detained at garda stations in the North Western Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

They were subsequently charged and appeared before Sligo District Court on Thursday, 10th October, 2024 and will appear before the courts again at a later date.

A garda spokesperson confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

Operation Táirge is part of An Garda Síochána’s Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy supporting operational activity aimed at detecting and preventing Organised Retail Crime (ORC).

Organised retail crime (ORC) typically refers to situations where a number of persons are acting together, targeting retailer outlets to steal significant quantities of goods to resell back into the retail supply chain through the black market. It can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit. ORC is usually co-ordinated and well-organised by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers.

Operation Táirge is led by the Organised Retail Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Group within An Garda Síochána and supports each Garda region to monitor and respond to emerging trends in their area.

The co-ordination group also maintains close contact with retailers and business groups and as is often the case in organised crime, organised retail crime can involve an international dimension, therefore the co-ordination group is also maintaining its close working relationships with international counterparts.

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