Issue Date: 6th May 2023
Gardaí in Wicklow have arrested three male youths following the theft of a number of vehicles near Rathnew in the early hours of this morning, Saturday, 6th May 2023.
The three youths were detained at a Garda station in Wicklow. All have since been released pending a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme.
The vehicles involved in these thefts involved vehicles imported from outside the European market, and Gardaí would like to remind the public of the security vulnerabilities associated with such vehicles.
Earlier this year, statistics from An Garda Síochána showed a growth in Car Theft / Unauthorised Taking of a Vehicle offences. This is driven by the theft of second-hand imported cars from outside Europe, and may be due to the lack of security features in the most commonly stolen imported vehicles.
For instance, many second-hand car imports do not have a fully fitted car alarm system or are without a fitted immobiliser. This makes them vulnerable to hot-wiring. If the model has a keyless ignition it has proven possible to pick up a signal from the key fob from within the house where it is parked.
Safety advice:
- Buyers should check the security features of their vehicles and make decisions relating to augmenting security
- For cars without an immobiliser, additional steering wheel lock or chain should be considered
