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Gardaí issue phone warning after spike in phone thefts in Dublin city centre
Gardaí have made several arrests.
GARDAÍ HAVE ISSUED a warning urging people to exercise caution when socialising over the St Patrick’s Day bank holiday weekend.
Officers said there have been a high number of detections and prosecutions following incidents of theft in Dublin city centre.
Gardaí conducted a search of two hotel rooms in north Dublin on Sunday and found six mobile phones were recovered, each one wrapped in tin foil to prevent tracking.
A man, aged in his 20s, was arrested and has since been charged.
He appeared before Dublin District Court on Monday for the offence of handling stolen property.
He was remanded in custody and was due to appear before Dublin District Court yesterday at 10.30am.
To date, two of the phones have been returned to their owners. Gardaí are continuing to conduct enquiries in an effort to locate the owners of the other phones.
During a separate investigation, Gardaí recovered two stolen mobile phones and a purse during patrols on Camden Street in the early hours of Sunday morning. A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested when the items were found in his possession.
He has since been charged in relation to this investigation and was released on bail to appear before court on 6 April 2022.
The phones were successfully returned to their owners.
A garda spokesman said: “As St Patrick’s Day celebrations resume after two years of cancelled events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Gardaí are aware of the high volume of people expected to join the festivities.
“Gardaí will continue to conduct high visibility and plain clothes patrols throughout Dublin city centre over the bank holiday weekend, keeping people safe. Younger people in particular are urged to exercise caution while celebrating this weekend and to take measures to ensure personal safety.”
Gardaí issued the following safety advice for keeping your phone safe:
- Register your mobile phone with your service provider.
- Take careful note of your unique 15 digit mobile phone International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. By pressing *#06# on your phone keypad the IMEI will appear on the screen.
- Enable the PIN Security feature and keep your phone locked at all times.
- When out and about, keep your mobile phone out of public view, be streetwise and always be aware of your surroundings.
- If you are making or receiving a phone call in public, do so with your back to a wall and reduce the opportunity to be attacked from behind.
- Never leave your mobile phone behind in an unattended vehicle.
- If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile phone service provider immediately to suspend your service and prevent unauthorised calls being made and billed to you. Your provider will block your SIM card and IMEI number to prevent your phone from being used on the mobile network.
- Report the loss or theft to An Garda Síochána, providing identification numbers for your SIM card and IMEI number. This information may assist in the recovery of your mobile phone.
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