Six arrests in Laois crime crackdown as stolen forklifts recovered

Portlaoise Gardai arrested six people in a day of action targeting criminals as part of Operation Thor.

Among the items recovered were three forklifts valued at €28,000 each. The forklifts, which were recovered in Laois on Monday evening, were stolen in Rosenallis in January. 

A garda spokesperson said a lot of investigative work had been carried out in relation to the forklift theft which led to two suspects being identified. They were arrested and charged with burglary in relation to the incident.  

All of the arrests were made under Operation Thor. It is specifically designed to tackle criminals involved in thefts, burglaries and robberies. 

The operation by Gardai in Portlaoise on Monday was a culmination of, in some cases, many months of investigative work in relation to crimes in the county. 

A suspect was arrested in Portarlington in connection with what gardai described as a “street robbery” last February. The suspect was identified, arrested, charged and brought before Tullamore District Court on Monday. Suspected stolen property was also recovered during the arrest. 

Detectives from Portlaoise travelled to Limerick where they arrested and charged a suspect in connection with thefts from properties in Laois. 

A young adult was arrested and brought before Tullamore District Court in relation to an incident of criminal damage and theft in Portlaoise last month. 

Another individual was arrested in connection with the burglary of a business premises in Portlaoise in February of last year.

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Gardai also conducted searches under the drugs act as part of the operation. During one search gardai seized methadone valued at €1,000 and €1,400 in cash.  A number of power tools that gardai suspect are stolen.   

“We have identified the owner of one of the tools,” a garda spokesperson stated. 

During another search at a residential property gardai recovered a small quantity of drugs and arrested the occupant for theft offences.