Three male youths were arrested following the theft of several vehicles in Co Wicklow this Saturday morning.
Gardaí said the youths were arrested near Rathnew village in connection with the theft of a "number of vehicles" which were imported from outside the European market.
They have warned of the dangers of these vehicles, which they said have less security features than those bought from within the European market, which has resulted in higher incidents of theft.
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Gardaí also informed that the three male youths have since been released, subject to a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme.
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said: "Gardaí in Wicklow have arrested three male youths following the theft of a number of vehicles near Rathnew in the early hours of this morning, Saturday, 6th May 2023.
"The three youths were detained at a Garda station in Wicklow. All have since been released pending a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme."
The vehicles involved in these thefts involved vehicles imported from outside the European market, and Gardaí are reminding the public of the "security vulnerabilities" associated with such vehicles.
Statistics from An Garda Síochána highlighted a growth in Car Theft / Unauthorised Taking of a 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," a garda explained.
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 proven possible to pick up a signal from the key fob from within the house where it is parked.
"Buyers should check the security features of their vehicles and make decisions relating to augmenting securit. For cars without an immobiliser, additional steering wheel lock or chain should be considered," a spokesperson added.
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