Man arrested as Clare gardaí crack down on retail thefts by organised crime gang

A man has been arrested by gardaí investigating organised retail theft in Tipperary and Clare.

A Garda statement said this investigation is into multiple thefts from retail outlets carried out nationwide between July 2020 and February 2024 by an Eastern European organised crime gang. 

The alleged thefts primarily involve premium alcohol and spirits with an estimated potential loss to the retailers in excess of €30,000.

The man, aged in his 40s, is currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at a Garda station in the Clare/Tipperary Division.

The Operation Táirge crackdown was launched last December aimed at detecting and preventing Organised Retail Crime following a nationwide increase. 

Organised retail crime (ORC) typically refers to situations where a number of persons are acting together, targeting retailer outlets to steal significant quantities of goods to resell back into the retail supply chain through the black market.  

It can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit. ORC is usually co-ordinated and well-organised by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers.