15 September 2020
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Gardaí have arrested and charged two people in relation to a burglary at in Cork City on September 14, 2020.
Shortly before 9am Gardaí from the Bridewell Garda Station received a report of a burglary that had occurred overnight at a house on Ard Fallen Terrace, Friar Street. The injured party informed detectives that electronics had been stolen from the house but he had installed a “find my device” app.
Detectives put an operation in place using the tracking software and arrested a man, 40s, and a woman, 30s later that evening in Cork city. A tablet device was recovered and has since been returned to the owner.
They were brought to Bridewell Garda Station and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
Speaking at Anglesea Street Garda Station, Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Tony Davis said
“It is great to see that our recent Streetwise campaign might be making a difference in getting property back to the rightful owners. I would like to remind anyone who has a smartphone or tablet to download a trusted “find my device” app and add an emergency contact number to their phone. Over the last 20 months, almost 11,500 phones have been stolen and only 10% of them are recovered.
“Other preventative measures you can take include enabling the PIN Security feature, keeping your device locked at all times, and property-mark it with unique personal letters or numbers.
“For those who do not own a smartphone, call *#06# on your keypad and note the IMEI number that comes up. This is a 15 digit number that is unique to your phone. If your phone is lost or stolen, call your service provider immediately so they can block the phone.
“If you believe your phone or tablet has been stolen, you should call Gardaí immediately. Do not follow the person via your tracking app”.
Photo showing the iPad which was recovered by Gardai, on top of an evidence bag
The arrested man is due to appear before Cork City District Court this morning at 10.30am. Seperately, the woman is to appear before Cork City District Court on September 18, 2020 at 10.30am.