Up to 8,500 arrested in major crackdown on shoplifters and retail crime

Figures released by Justice Minister Helen McEntee also show that 20,052 charges or summons were recorded in association with Operation Táirge between December 1 2023 and November 30 2024.

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 26 2024
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Up to 8,500 arrested in major

Up to 8,500 people have been arrested in the last year following a “significant crackdown on retail crime” as part of a new garda operation launched last year.

Figures released by Justice Minister Helen McEntee also show that 20,052 charges or summons were recorded in association with Operation Táirge between December 1 2023 and November 30 2024.

In total over the space of one year, there were 8,460 arrests made by gardaí in relation to retail crime.

Operation Táirge, which was launched in December 2023, is An Garda Síochána’s national operation targeting organised retail crime.

The Department of Justice stated that organised retail crime typically refers to “situations where a number of people are acting together”.

They steal significant quantities of goods with the intention of reselling them back into the retail supply chain through the black market.

Organised retail crime can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit. It is usually a co-ordinated and well-organised crime carried out by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

There have been several significant arrests targeting retail crime as part of Operation Táirge in recent weeks.

This includes the arrest of a man in his 50s on November 24 by Gardaí in Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North investigating recent thefts from retail stores across North Dublin.

The man was taken to a Garda station in North Dublin and subsequently charged with 46 counts of theft and one count of assaulting a retail worker.

Separately on November 20, Gardaí attached to the Coolock and Raheny districts arrested and charged 21 people as part of ongoing investigations under Operation Thor and Operation Táirge, targeting criminal activity with particular emphasis on robbery, burglary and theft in the North East DMR areas of Coolock and Raheny.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she was “delighted” to see that Gardaí working as part of Operation Táirge have “yielded significant results”.

“Retail crime is not a victimless crime,” she said.

“It not only has significant economic impacts on our retail sector, but also on staff retention, recruitment and personal safety.

“I have been engaging with retailers across the country and can assure them we will continue to work to tackle organised retail crime.

“A policing response is part of the solution and the work of Operation Táirge is already bearing fruit. I am committed to ensuring our Gardaí have the resources they need to continue this vital work.”

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