Man arrested by gardaí investigating organised retail theft

By Cate McCurry, PA

A man has been arrested by gardaí investigating organised retail theft in Clare and Tipperary.

The investigation, referred to as Operation Tairge, is being conducted into multiple thefts from retail outlets carried out nationwide between July 2020 and February 2024 by an Eastern European organised crime gang.

The man, aged in his 40s, was arrested on Monday.

The alleged thefts primarily involve premium alcohol and spirits with an estimated potential loss to the retailers in excess of €30,000.

The man is currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at a Garda station in the Clare and Tipperary division.

Operation Tairge is part of the Garda Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy, which supports operational activity aimed at detecting and preventing Organised Retail Crime (ORC).

Organised retail crime typically refers to situations where a number of people are acting together, targeting retailer outlets to steal significant quantities of goods to resell back into the retail supply chain through the black market.

It can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit.

Gardaí said that ORC is usually co-ordinated and well organised by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers.