CHARGED | 

Woman (50s) arrested as part of probe into 11 alleged thefts in five towns

The woman has since been charged and is expected to appear before a sitting of Naas District Court this morning at 10.30am

Today at 09:38

A woman has been arrested by gardaí in Kildare who are investigating 11 alleged thefts from shops in five towns across four eastern counties.

The woman, in her 50s, has since been charged as part of the Garda’s Operation Táirge targeting retail theft across the Eastern Region.

“Gardaí attached to Leixlip Garda Station recently arrested and detained a woman in her 50s, in connection with 11 incidents of alleged theft from retail premises in Newbridge, Portlaoise, Athy, Kilkenny, Wexford and Maynooth,” a garda spokesperson revealed.

The woman is expected to appear before a sitting of Naas District Court this morning at 10.30am.

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The crackdown was launched recently to tackle the scourge of shoplifters – which costs retailers €1.6bn a year

Operation Táirge will use an intelligence-led approach to identify crime hot-spots as well as trends in the type of goods targeted by gangs.

While Christmas is a busy time for retailers, the operation will have a year-round focus on retail theft.

Gardaí are hoping that by adopting similar methods used to target prolific burglars under Operation Thor, that Operation Táirge will see a reduction in shop and business thefts.