Dublin/Roscommon – An intensive, planned operation by An Garda Síochána resulted in the arrest of three suspected members of an organised criminal gang in south-west Dublin yesterday. The trio, who allegedly used Airbnb properties as staging grounds for an extensive burglary spree across the West of Ireland, are currently being held for questioning under organised crime legislation in County Roscommon.
The arrested individuals include a notorious 42-year-old burglar, a 23-year-old associate, and the younger man’s 24-year-old girlfriend. They are all being questioned regarding their participation in the activities of a criminal organisation.
The Investigation’s Scope: The investigation, led by Gardaí from the North West Region and supported by the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), has been ongoing for nearly a year, targeting this specific gang. This operation follows the arrest of three other alleged members last November, who were released without charge. A file on those previous suspects has already been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with key intelligence reportedly gathered from devices seized last year.
The gang is believed to have targeted at least 30 rural homes across Roscommon and Mayo, the counties worst hit by their crime wave approximately two years ago. The modus operandi involved using high-powered cars with cloned registration plates to travel from their South West Dublin bases to commit burglaries.
Modus Operandi (MO): The criminal activity began to gain Garda attention in November 2023, following a breakthrough discovery of a rented Airbnb in Knock, Co Mayo, being used as a base. Up to eight gang members reportedly stayed at that location for less than a week, targeting unoccupied houses in Mayo, Roscommon, and Galway. Even after the Knock base was compromised, the gang reportedly continued to use Airbnbs in the West of Ireland and remained “highly active.”
Significantly, Gardaí are satisfied that the Airbnb hosts were completely unaware of the criminal nature of their temporary guests. The gang typically avoided violent aggravated burglaries, preferring to target cash and jewellery from unoccupied rural residences. Evidence suggests they wore camouflage clothing and wellington boots to navigate wet fields before breaking in.
Separate Investigation: This week’s arrests are part of a different operation than one conducted last week. That separate investigation saw the arrest of a boy in his early teens—potentially the youngest person ever arrested in Ireland for organised crime gang participation. He and his mid-teen older brother were released after less than 24 hours, but a file is being prepared for the DPP, with more arrests anticipated in that related case.
