FIVE IRISH MEN have been charged as part of an investigation into a home repair scam around Perth.

It comes after a raid at Hazelmere caravan park last month resulted in twenty-six Irish people, including 19 women and children, being deported back to Ireland.

Five men and two teenage boys were arrested following the raid after a large number of complaints about conmen with Irish accents.

The five alleged offenders, aged 18 – 42, are now in detention awaiting deportation to Ireland.

They allegedly convinced a number of elderly people to hand over cash in exchange for shoddy or incomplete work.

The Western Australia is reporting that the men are being charged with a range of offences including stealing, unlawful possession, trespassing and criminal damage.

• An 18-year-old man has been charged with two counts each of gaining benefit by fraud and stealing, one count each of criminal damage and unlawful possession.
• A 19-year-old man has been charged with three counts each of stealing, trespassing, criminal damage and two counts each of gaining benefit by fraud, attempting to gain benefit by fraud and one count of unlawful possession.
• A 23-year-old man has been charged with one count each of gaining benefit by fraud, unlawful possession and criminal damage.
•  A 33-year-old man has been charged with one count of unlawful possession.
• And a 42-year-old man has been charged with two counts of stealing and one count of unlawful possession.

Four of the men are due to appear in the Perth Magistrate’s Court on February 12 while the 33-year-old is due to appear on February 11.

Read: Twenty-six Irish people to be deported from Australia over alleged home repair scam>