5 arrested allegedly attempting to burgle houses dressed as Gardaí

Five individuals have been arrested for allegedly impersonating Gardaí and asking to enter people’s homes as a way of robbing them.

Four men and a woman, allegedly from a criminal gang, have been apprehended across five separate Garda stations, after police said that they had been involved in fraud and theft schemes. The individuals in question had allegedly been going around to rural homes posing as police officers, and asking to come inside as part of a burglary investigation in the area.

Once inside, the suspects would reportedly tell homeowners that a sum of money had been stolen nearby, and that they were simply trying to identify the money’s true owners.

After comparing the homeowner’s cash to another stack, they would “confiscate” the money and take it away with them.

The gang in question has reportedly been operating across 15 counties, and there are a number of investigations ongoing in their activities.

“Members of An Garda Síochána will not cold call to a house and request to check cash in this manner,” a Garda spokesperson said in a statement on the matter.

“An Garda Síochána wish to remind the public that any Garda member calling to your door will have identification. However, should you have any concerns about the person at the door, you should not answer the door even if they are purporting to be a Garda.

“Genuine Gardaí will always provide official details to allow you to confirm their identity with your local Garda station and will be patient while you choose to do so.”

Since last December, there have been rumours of individuals around rural Ireland allegedly posing as Gardaí and acting in a suspicious manner in certain villages.

A village has been warned to look out for a 'garda impersonating duo' after a sketchy incident in the area left residents extremely concerned.https://t.co/VK4tE13ZSm

— Irish Daily Mirror (@IrishMirror) December 16, 2022

Impersonating a member of an Garda Síochana is an offence which in some cases is punishable by a fine of as much as €50,000, up to 5 years in prison, or both under the Garda Síochána Act of 2005.