41 people due in court charged with shoplifting offences

Forty-one people are due in court in Dún Laoghaire today charged with shoplifting and related offences.

They were arrested as part of a targeted initiative under Operation Táirge, which was set up to tackle retail crime.

Fifteen children also arrested as part of the investigation have been referred to the Youth Diversion Programme, while 25 more serious offenders have already appeared before the courts.

Retail crime has for some time been a major problem all over the country, particularly in the more affluent areas of southeast Dublin.

Gardaí say 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 supply chain through the black market.

It can also involve refund fraud and is usually co-ordinated and well-organised by people who recruit others to steal from retailers.

Organised crime groups and individual criminals from all over Dublin have been targeting high end goods in the shopping centres of Dundrum, Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire, while because of the high price, the theft of meat has become a major issue for local shops.

Gardaí set up a special unit to tackle the problem in the region in early May which identified several prolific offenders through profiling, liaising with other divisions, the examination of CCTV and surveillance.

Eighty-one men women and children have so far been arrested as part of the garda operation.

Chief Superintendent David Kennedy said gardaí are working to disrupt criminal networks, prevent thefts, and support local retailers and businesses, and more arrests are expected.