GARDA COMMISSIONER Fachtna Murphy has established a special policing operation aimed at combating a series of raids in which mechanical diggers have been used to take ATMs from the exterior walls of banks and other businesses.
Mr Murphy yesterday chaired a meeting of senior officers at Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, at which the recent “hole-in-the-wall” robberies were discussed.
Assistant Commissioner Derek Byrne, who is in charge of national support services, has been asked to co-ordinate the Garda operation against the gangs behind the robberies.
Mr Murphy said gardaí were also asking owners of mechanical diggers and other heavy plant to review their security procedures to ensure their equipment is not stolen for use in any future raids.
“As many of these robberies take place in the early hours of the morning, I am also appealing to members of the community to immediately report any unusual activity to gardaí,” Mr Murphy added.
The new operation under Mr Byrne will involve local gardaí in regions across the country as well as specialist Garda units.
The organised crime unit has already arrested and charged one gang suspected of being behind some of the raids. The unit will be central to the new operation. The armed regional support units will also be involved.
The operation will be partly funded with monies set aside for Operation Anvil, which has targeted all forms of organised crime across the country in recent years.
The new investigation comes after a series of “hole-in-the-wall” raids since the start of June.
In all incidents, heavy plant machinery has been used to rip ATMs from exterior walls. In the successful cases, the machines have been removed from the crime scene on trailers.
Most ATMs can take about €200,000 in cash, which is effectively untraceable. To date none of the gangs has been caught in the act while carrying out a robbery.
However, one gang which gardaí believe had been operating in the Leinster area were arrested earlier this month.
The most recent robbery took place in Athboy, Co Meath, at 6am on Sunday.
