News

Irish official urges action on ATM raids

July 14, 2004

DUBLIN - Deputy Joe Costello, the Labour Party Spokesperson on Justice, has called on the Gardai to increase its effort in fighting armed raids on ATMs.

Gangs have stolen more than €2 million (U.S. $2.4 million) in a spate of armed robberies around the country in recent weeks.

"These gangs are highly dangerous as they move from town to town and robbing huge amounts at gun point as they travel," Costello said in a report on Politics.ie. "Sooner or later, a security guard merely going about their work, or an innocent bystander is going to be killed in the course of one of these raids."

Although the Minister for Justice has promised action to deal with these gangs, Costello said there has not been a single legislative or police initiative to crack down on the crimes.

"The Gardai say they know the people involved, the gangs they belong to, and where they operate from. Such information must immediately be put into use and these people stopped before the next raid ends up causing a tragedy," Costello said in the report.