44 scrambler bikes and off-road vehicles were seized by Gardaí in a planned operation across Limerick City with five people arrested.
Over recent months, men on such bikes who have been described by a Clare TD as “drug mules” were driving without helmets and wearing balaclavas across South Clare and Limericl City.
As part of ongoing operations by Gardaí in Limerick City targeting dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour incidents associated with the use of scrambler bikes and other off-road vehicles, a planned operation took place this week.
A total of 21 searches were carried out at locations across Limerick City on Tuesday and Wednesday. This was coordinated by Limerick City South (Roxboro Road) and Limerick City North (Henry Street) Community Engagement Functional Areas.
In their efforts, 44 scrambler bikes and off-road vehicles were seized.
Five individuals were arrested as part of ongoing investigations for suspected endangerment and dangerous driving and other related matters.
Thirty Gardaí were involved in the operation with additional support from the Armed Support Unit (ASU), and was planned and coordinated by Limerick City South (Roxboro Road) and Limerick City North (Henry Street) Community Engagement Functional Areas, through ongoing collaborative policing initiatives between the two areas.
Superintendent Andrew Lacey (Henry Street Garda Station) said, “Gardaí in Limerick welcome the new search and seizure powers under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, which have given us the capacity to carry out this targeted operation to confront a growing problem in the City.
“Through our various interactions in JPCs and local community meetings we received a clear message that this behaviour is causing fear, intimidation and distress across the City. We are acutely aware of the problem ourselves and can correlate the use of scramblers and e-scooters to criminal activities with a number of detections in the sale and supply of drugs in recent months. With the new powers in place we plan to continue with these operations if those responsible continue to break the law, cause harm to communities or have a detrimental effect on business and traders in the city centre”.
Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) has previously highlighted the matter in Dáil Éireann and attempted to do so at meetings of the Clare Joint Policing Committee. He told The Clare Echo, “I am glad that An Garda Síochána have robustly gotten to grips with this problem. For too many months thugs wearing balaclavas have been menacingly driving scrambler bikes, in full public view, through communities in South Clare and Limerick City. It is common knowledge that some of these scrambler riders are drug mules.
“Over the course of the past month I raised the issue of scrambler bikes with the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Transport and at the Clare Joint Policing Committee. I’m glad that the concerns I expressed, representative of what I hear on the ground in local communities, were taken on board and robustly responded to,” Deputy Crowe added.
