Second-hand imported car owners are being advised to check their security features after a spate of thefts in Letterkenny.
Three Toyota cars were stolen over the space of a few days in the town last week.
Gardaí have linked the crimes to a recent rise in thefts, recorded nationally, of second-hand imported cars from outside Europe.
The first theft was a silver Toyota Aqua registration number ‘152 D 32563’ which was stolen from Duffy’s Lane, Rosemount, Letterkenny between 11pm on Wednesday the 24th of May and 10am on Thursday the 25th of May.
The car had been locked and the key was with the owner. This car has not yet been located.
Following this, a black Toyota Aqua registration number ‘162 DL 3146’ was stolen from a driveway at Glencar Park, Letterkenny between 7.30pm on Friday the 26th of May and approx. 3.30am on Saturday the 27th of May.
Gardaí received a report shortly before 3.50am on Saturday May 27th to say that the car in question was on fire at Fairgreen Hill, Letterkenny. Again, the keys had been with the owner and it had been locked.
A red Toyota Vitz registration number ’06 D 121790’ was also stolen from the Chestnut Grove area of Letterkenny between Saturday the 27th of May at 9am and Sunday the 28th of May at 7pm. This car has not yet been located.
A garda spokesperson said: “We appeal to anybody who has any relevant information in relation to any of these three car thefts to make contact with Gardaí in Letterkenny. If anybody observed any suspicious activity in any of the areas named between the dates given then we want to hear from them. Should anybody come across either of the two outstanding stolen cars, we ask them to contact us immediately.
“Earlier this year, statistics from An Garda Síochána showed a growth in Car Theft / Unauthorised Taking of Vehicle offences. This is driven by the theft of second-hand imported cars from outside Europe, and may be due to the lack of security features in the most commonly stolen imported vehicles.
“For instance, many second-hand car imports do not have a fully fitted car alarm system or are without a fitted immobiliser. This makes them vulnerable to hot-wiring. If the model has a keyless ignition it has been proven possible to pick up a signal from the key fob from within the house where it is parked.”
