Arrests made during day of action

Eight people were arrested during a major garda operation in West Cork this week.

Of the eight arrests, six were arrested and charged for 29 incidents of theft, theft from a vehicle, fraud and assault.

During the Operation Thor Day of Action on Tuesday, another two were arrested for drug driving and have since been released with a file for the DPP being prepared.

In addition to the arrests, one adult caution was issued for criminal damage while another 13 juvenile cautions were issued for a range of offences and 20 summons served.

Three warrants were also executed during the operation.

Meanwhile, two multi-agency checkpoints on the N71 Toureen Ballinhassig road and on the R586 Ballyhalwick Dunmanway road were carried out by gardaí with Customs and Revenue, Cork County Council’s Environmental Protection Unit and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said: “During the checkpoints, Revenue officers found five vehicles with VRT issues, the RSA detected two vehicles with defects and gardaí arrested one person on suspicion of drug driving and seized a car for no tax.”

Community policing gardaí also held crime prevention information events and stands throughout the division.

“The combatting of fraudulent online crime is one of the goals of the West Cork garda divisional policing plan for 2020 and raising awareness in the community is key to achieving this,” said the spokesperson.