16 people due in court after incidents of theft, criminal damage and assault on retail staff

16 people are due in court charged in connection with incidents of theft, handling stolen property, criminal damage and assault on staff in retail premises in Dublin . Gardaí from the DMR North Central Division charged the individuals as part of Operation Táirge - aimed at detecting and preventing organised retail crime. A total of 31 charges are being brought against eight men and eight women, aged between 18 and 60, charged with 24 separate offences in this phase of the investigation. The 16 individuals are scheduled to appear before Court 4 at the Criminal Courts of Justice tomorrow morning, Thursday, June 4 at 10:30am.

In addition to those appearing in court tomorrow, a further one person has received an Adult Caution and another individual has been referred to the National Juvenile Diversion Programme. The Bridewell Community Policing team has also engaged with retail premises and businesses in the Dublin 7 area to provide reassurance and offer Crime Prevention and Awareness advice. A Garda spokesperson said investigations are ongoing. They added: “Operation Táirge is part of An Garda Síochána’s Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy supporting operational activity aimed at detecting and preventing Organised Retail Crime (ORC). “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. “Operation Táirge is led by the Organised Retail Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Group within An Garda Síochána and supports each Garda region to monitor and respond to emerging trends in their area.” Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here .