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Crime gangs unleash epidemic of motorbike thefts across Ireland

Today at 14:01

Organised crime gangs have unleashed an epidemic of motorbike thefts across Ireland sparking calls for more action from gardaí.

There is huge concern that not enough is being done to tackle the nationwide motorbike theft epidemic that has seen over 838 motorbikes stolen in Ireland so far this year.

This figure rises to 1,490 if electric bikes, electric scooters, scooters, mopeds, quads and scramblers are included in the breakdown and it is a massive increase on last year when 538 motorcycles in total were stolen in the year with 416 being stolen in 2021.

“It is a crime category that is currently out of all control and it has been progressively getting worse all year,” a senior source told the Sunday World.

According to the figures obtained by us, last month 148 motorcycles were stolen in the space of 31 days – 77 motorbikes, 15 e bikes, 44 e scooters, 10 Scooters or Mopeds and two scramblers.

The situation is so bad that many victims of this spiralling type of crime have set up social media groups who have thousands of members and others have even recently set up an online petition calling for more action from gardaí and the government on the issue.

The problem continues to get worse despite the arrest earlier this month of a 21-year-old career criminal who is considered one of the main players in the organised theft of motorbikes and cars.

The suspect was arrested in the Finglas area following a major surveillance operation and his gang are suspected of using the DoneDeal website and other sale sites to carry out a crimewave this year in Dublin and surrounding Leinster counties.

The criminals have been targeting people who have legitimately attempting to sell motorbikes and cars online and after communicating with the seller they obtain their Eircode or address which they then target often in night time burglaries and steal the vehicles from their victims’ properties.

In some cases the gang have even attempted to sell the stolen motorbikes back to the person they have stolen it from for four figure sums.

They are linked to a spate of burglaries in seven counties in recent months and while last week’s arrest is considered “very significant”, a senior source conceded that it is “only the tip of the iceberg.”

“The modus operandi of that particular north Dublin organised crime gang is just one method of how motorbikes have been stolen this year but there are three methods that are far more common,” said a source.

These are van based theft in which the targeted motorbike gets lifted into the back of a van. “Disc locks and alarms make little difference if the bike is not anchored to a secure point,” the source pointed out.

And then there is engine start theft. “Older bikes pre-immobilizer are sought out, started with a screw driver and taken joyriding before they are either burnt out or simply abandoned by the joyriders,” the source explained.

Thirdly gardaí are increasingly investigating what is described as “ride away thefts” which have featured in videos which have went viral online. “The thieves break a steering lock, holding onto the back of another bike or scooter and then take a tow away from the scene – without needing to get the engine started,” the source said.

It is estimated that less than 10 per cent of all the motorbikes stolen this year have been recovered by gardaí.

This year has also seen an upsurge in attempted hijacking incidents in which violent criminals attempt to steal motorbikes with their occupants still on the bikes.

In April, the Sunday World revealed that there has been 33 hijacking or attempted hijacking incidents until the end of March.

It can now be revealed that there was a further 73 such violent incidents up until the end of last month meaning that there has been 106 such crimes so far this year.

While many of these incidents involve cars, there has been a number involving motorbikes as well.

In Dublin last month there were three motorbike hijackings that occurred in Donnybrook, Rathmines and Clontarf.

In previous years gardaí would have investigated less than a dozen hijackings a year across the country.

“The expectation is that when the year is over the level of unauthorised taking of vehicles of all kinds is expected to exceed levels that have not been seen since the early 1990’s,” a senior source said.

“There needs to be a coherent plan to tackle this issue and it is simply not there at the moment unfortunately.

“While there was a significant arrest last week, there are literally dozens of mainly young criminals stealing bikes with absolute impunity. It is a matter of very serious concern,” the source added.

Online forums display the frustration that the victims of this type of crime feel and sometimes they heavily criticise how gardai have handled their cases in their posts.

“I know more than 20 people who have had bikes robbed, the gardaí have done nothing about any of them. Even when the people found their own bikes, the gardaí can’t be bothered to turn up and seize the bike back,” one poster wrote on the online petition which has over 1,300 signatures on it at the time of going to print.

Senior sources say that criminals involved in this type of crime have been able to take advantage of the apparent “stand down” policy that has meant that on many occasions gardaí have not been able to engage in high speed pursuits against thieves and burglars in the interests of public safety.

Earlier this year garda management admitted that the rules on the high speed chases of criminals need to be updated.

The problem of motorbike theft has been a big problem in Dublin city centre on both sides of the River Liffey and sources say that the closure of Harcourt Square Garda HQ has led to a noticeable increase in crime in that area particularly motorbike theft.

Some gardaí believe that a special operation should be set up to tackle the issue similar to Operation Venice which was introduced in London a number of years ago to detect and prevent moped theft.

As part of this tactical pursuit and containment trained officers are involved in targeting the thieves on London’s streets and it led to a decrease in this type of crime.

A spokesperson for the London Metropolitan Police previously explained how the operation works.

“The operations include mass checks on stationary and moving powered two wheelers, raids on individuals suspected of stealing motorcycles and mopeds or using them to commit crimes, high visibility patrols in key areas, Automatic Number Plate Reader deployments and provision of free locks to owners at motorcycle parking bays,” he explained.

“Many gardaí feel that a targeted operation like the ongoing one in London should be introduced here,” one source pointed out.