Cop dossier | 

Net closes on violent burglary gang who rented Airbnb as crime-spree base to break into 20 homes

Arrests expected soon as gardaí identify eight criminals from Tallaght

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Net closes on Airbnb burglary gang as gardai identify eight suspects for cross county spree

Arrests are expected in the new year after a number of suspects have been identified.

• Gardaí have compiled an intelligence dossier on an organised crime gang who used an Airbnb as a base to break into 20 homes in the west of Ireland over five days.

The gang rented a property near Knock, Co Mayo, early last month as they carried out the burglaries in four counties.

Up to eight criminals, believed to be from Tallaght, Dublin, stayed in the property and targeted unoccupied homes in Sligo, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo.

They were also involved in a violent aggravated burglary in Sligo, one of two break-ins committed in that county.

The victim in the incident, a bachelor aged in his 60s, previously spoke to the Irish Independent and revealed he was a friend of tragic farmer Tom Niland.

Mr Niland died last September after 18 months on life support following a suspected break-in in January last year.

The gang are suspected of targeting the bachelor about 7.15pm on Friday, November 3. It is the only aggravated burglary linked to their west-of-Ireland crime spree.

The victim returned home and found several men lying in wait. When he pulled up outside, at least two of the gang overpowered him and demanded the keys to a safe.

A source said the man was “pulled, dragged, threatened and terrorised” by the gang, who left after stealing the contents of the safe.

“This gang prefer to target unoccupied homes because it is simply less hassle for them, but in this case the victim was unlucky in that they needed the keys to his safe and they then showed they had no problem using extreme violence,” the source said.

“This shows the nature of this outfit and armed gardaí will be required for any future potential arrest operation.”

At this month’s meeting of the Mayo Joint Policing Committee, members were told that since the gang left the county, the number of burglaries there had significantly fallen.

Mayo had a total of 160 reported burglaries up to the start of this month, an increase of 33 on the same period last year.

At the committee meeting, Chief Superintendent Raymond McMahon appealed to property owners to be conscious of to whom they are renting their places, and said if they had suspicions they should contact gardaí.

“We did thwart a gang doing it in Mayo and it is noticeable that there has hardly been a burglary here since,” he said.

The same appeal to Airbnb owners was also made at a meeting of the Roscommon Joint Policing Committee, where members were told a definite line of inquiry regarding the burglaries was being investigated.

Detective Superintendent Tom Colsh said: “We have set up an incident room and have put out a public appeal. We have received great feedback and we want to thank everybody who gave information. The investigation is very much ongoing and is being taken very seriously.”

The gang targeted a number of homes in the Tulsk and Ballinagare areas of Roscommon.

The burglary gang used three cars during their crime spree. Gardaí have established they wore camouflage clothing and walked through fields before breaking into houses, mostly in rural areas.

Officers in the west quickly identified the Airbnb being used and set up a special operation.

However, the gang did not return to the property, and no arrests have yet been made.