Second man arrested over  ‘sophisticated’ plan to steal cars appears in Cork court

A second man arrested in connection with a “sophisticated” operation to steal luxury cars being sold privately has been remanded in continued custody.

Toe Sava, 30, who has been charged with 13 offences, was remanded at a hearing in Fermoy District Court, Co. Cork, on Friday morning.

He is the co-accused of Rosmarin Serban, 46, of no fixed abode, who has been charged with 17 offences in relation to the same luxury car theft ring. Mr Serban was remanded in custody after a hearing in Mallow District Court last week.

Mr Sava is accused of having possession of seven car keys “with the intention that (they) be used in connection with theft” contrary to Section 15 (1) and (5) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

He was also charged with possession of an Apple AirTag with the intention of it being used in connection with theft.

He has also been charged with the theft of a black 141-reg Mercedes worth €17,500 from an address in Killarney, Co. Kerry, and the theft, contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act 2001, of a 152-reg Ford Kuga, alleged to have been stolen from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.

He has also been charged with the theft of a silver 152-reg Mercedes worth €20,000 from Tipperary, a silver 2012-reg Mercedes, worth €12,000, from a Dundalk address and the attempted theft of a 171-reg Audi, worth €55,000, from an address in Conna, Co Cork.

At a hearing in Mallow District Court last week, before Judge Joanne Carroll, Mr Serban is alleged to have been part of a “sophisticated” operation involving people who were selling their cars privately.

It is alleged he had a number of accomplices, and Mr Sava appeared before Fermoy District Court in connection to the same case.

Last week, Judge Carroll was told Mr Serban and his co-accused, approached people selling their cars at their homes and asked to take them for a test-drive. It is alleged that during test-drives, the car keys were either cloned or replaced.

Apple AirTags are also allegedly used to track the whereabouts of cars Mr Serban and his accomplices are alleged to have wanted to steal.

Mr Sava was in Fermoy District Court before Judge Carroll on Friday morning. He was remanded in custody and is due back before the court on April 28, when he intends to apply for bail.

Mr Serban, whose 17 charges include possession of a number articles such as car keys and an Apple AirTag, the theft of four cars and the attempted theft of another car, was also in court briefly.

The 46-year-old has also been charged with having a false driving licence, in the name of Spanish national Jordi Ferran Ferrer, and also giving his same date of birth. Mr Serban has also been charged with having a false ID, also in the name of Jordi Ferran Ferrer.

He was remanded in continued custody. He has been in custody since he was arrested by Detective Denise Fitzgerald on April 5. He had applied last week in Mallow District Court through his lawyer Daithi O’Donnabhain for bail, which had been denied by Judge Carroll.

Mr O’Donnabhain said at that hearing in Mallow that his client was the subject of “an extraordinary amount of custody”.

He told Judge Carroll on Friday that he will now be making a High Court application for bail on behalf of his client. It is due to be heard via video link at Mallow District Court on May 2.