Latest news with #An Garda Síochána

Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Motorist left shaken after hitting dummy covered in tomato ketchup on Co Donegal road
Gardaí in Co Donegal are seeking to speak to three young men after a dummy covered with tomato ketchup was placed by the roadside and struck by a passing car. The incident, which happened on the R245 road near Milford at around midnight on Sunday, left a motorist thinking they had hit a person. The motorist got out of their car after the collision and realised they had hit a dummy made using stuffed plastic bags, which was dressed in dark clothing and covered with ketchup. The driver and passenger travelling in the vehicle were left shaken following the bizarre incident, which happened at The Pans, Cranford and resulted in the car being damaged. Garda Gráinne Doherty said the force was 'following a definite line of inquiry in relation to this incident'. She said investigating officers were keen to speak to anyone who may have travelled in the area and who may have observed 'a white car with three young males on board parked up nearby'. 'This car is believed to have been in the area around the time of the collision and then immediately left in the direction of Carrigart.' Anyone who travelled along the route between midnight and 1am on Sunday who has dashcam footage is asked to make it available to An Garda Síochána. 'We are very anxious to progress this investigation and we appeal to the males in question to make contact with gardaí in Milford on 074 9153060.'


Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Irish Times
Man arrested in Monaghan as part of global operation targeting human trafficking
A man arrested in Monaghan in early June has been remanded in custody as part of a global operation targeting human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced criminality. The man in his 50s was detained on June 9th at Monaghan Garda station and subsequently charged for Human Trafficking Contrary to Section 4(1) of the Criminal law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008. The man appeared before Monaghan District Court on Wednesday, June 11th where he was remanded in custody and a file is being compiled for the Director of Public Prosecutions . His arrest was carried out as part of Operation Global Chain, an international initiative conducted on June 1st-6th 2025, during which law enforcement partners worldwide, including An Garda Síochána , targeted organised crime groups involved in human trafficking, in particular child trafficking, for financial gain. READ MORE The operation focused on human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced criminality and forced begging. Over the week in early June, gardaí visited 92 suspected brothels in towns and cities across Ireland. They interviewed 179 sex workers with nationalities from Brazil, Romania, Spain, China, Dominican Republic, Poland, Latvia, Colombia, Taiwan, Panama, Czech Republic, Malaysia and Ireland. No victims of human trafficking were detected during the visits. Gardaí also inspected more than 5,400 passengers arriving into Dublin Airport on flights on Thursday, June 5th, and Friday, June 6th. Members of the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit and the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit were present during these inspections, according to a Garda statement. An Garda Síochána will continue to work closely with Europol and other law enforcement partners to identify victims of human trafficking and also appealed to any potential victims to come forward and speak to them. Any person with information on human trafficking should also contact gardaí and all contact will be treated 'in the utmost confidence', said the statement.

Irish Times
06-05-2025
- Irish Times
More than 3,000 drivers caught speeding over May Bank Holiday weekend
More than 3,000 drivers were detected breaking speed limits by gardaí over the May Bank Holiday weekend with 187 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There were two road deaths over the weekend with six people sustaining severe and life-threatening injuries. A motorcyclist was found to be travelling 129km/h in a 60km/h zone on the Navan Road in Dublin 15 while a driver was detected at 181km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N25 in Ballynamone, Co Kilkenny. More than 270 fixed charge notices were handed out for drivers using mobile phones with more than 340 fines were unaccompanied learner drivers, according to figures provided by gardaí on Tuesday. READ MORE There were 115 fixed charge notices handed out for failure to wear a seat belt. In addition, 147 vehicles were seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied and 444 vehicles seized for having no tax or insurance. Gardaí said it conducted more than 1,000 mandatory intoxicant testing (MIT) checkpoints, more than 13,000 breath tests and 280 oral fluid tests carried out. It said an 'extensive' Garda roads policing operation was in place from 7am on Thursday until 7am on Tuesday to ensure road safety during the Bank Holiday weekend. An Garda Síochána said it continues to appeal to all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate to the driving conditions, to wear their seat belt and keep their eyes always on the road.