33 arrests as part of Operation Thor in Meath Division
A total of 33 arrests were conducted for warrants, planned arrests and drug detections, resulting in 11 charges, as part of Operation Thor in the Meath Division on November 19-21.
This operation was supported by the Eastern Region Armed Support Unit along with outside agencies.
A garda statement said there were a number of strands in the operation:
• execution of warrants
• high visibility crime patrols
• checkpoints
• detection of indictable theft related criminal offences – planned arrests
• target drug trafficking offences
• public reassurance in identifying and deterring public order offences, liquor licensing offences.
Breakdown of the outcomes of the operation:
• a total of 33 arrests were conducted for warrants, planned arrests and drug detections resulting in 11 charges;
• 17 bench warrants executed;
• 15 planned arrests resulting in detections for 10 theft offences, 1 RTA offence, 3 drugs offences, 1 fraud;
• 6 planned drugs searches were conducted by the divisional drug unit resulting in 3 x section 15 offences.
• seizure of the following controlled drugs: €11,930 cannabis, €14,565 cocaine and cash to the value of €1,615
• 26 checkpoints, 19 person/vehicle searches, 5 vehicles detained under section 41, 3 RTA offences detected.
• assistance was provided by gardaí at Navan to the taxi regulator and 20 vehicles were checked.
Operation Thor is designed to tackle the anticipated increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occur in winter months by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity.
This initiative has successfully reduced the rate of winter burglaries, leading to a significant decline in property related crime since its introduction in 2015.
Official crime statistics continue to show a reduction in burglary and related offences in 2020 (down by 5,810, or 34.7pc) compared to 2019.
This downward trend continues in 2021, with official crime statistics for Q2 2021 showing a continuing reduction in burglary and related offences (down by 5,349, or 37.2pc) compared to Q2 2020.