Crime « Thurles Information

Man Seriously Assaulted Last Weekend In Upperchurch, Co. Tipperary.

Thurles Gardaí are continuing to investigate a serious assault in County Tipperary and are appealing to the public for information.

A man, aged in his late teens, was seriously assaulted, in the rural area of Upperchurch Village, just 17km (10.6mls) from Thurles, Co. Tipperary, sometime between 11:00pm on Sunday, June 27th, and a short time after midnight on Monday morning last.

Gardaí have confirmed that the victim was rushed to Cork University Hospital, where he is currently being treated for the serious injuries he sustained.

To date, we understand that no arrests have been made, however, investigations remain ongoing.

Gardaí at Thurles are currently appealing for any witnesses to this serious assault, or any road users who may have been travelling in the Upperchurch Village area between 11:00pm on Sunday last, through into the early hours of Monday morning, to make any dash-camera footage held, available for inspection.

Those who may have information are being asked to contact Thurles Garda station Tel: 0504 25100, the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1800 666 111, or indeed any other Garda station.

Man Receives Jail Sentence Following Firearm Burglary Near Thurles.

A man who was caught attempting to bring a stolen shotgun into a Tipperary Rehabilitation Centre has been jailed for three years for robbery.

Mr Darren McDonnell, aged 38 years, had for 2 days been resident at the Rehabilitation Centre when he was discovered missing from the grounds. On his return an employee noticed that he had a shotgun concealed inside his trousers. When confronted, Mr McDonnell admitted he had been involved in a burglary nearby and handed over the shotgun, together with ammunition and a tablet he had stolen during his crime spree.

The pastor at the Rehab Centre later drove Mr McDonnell to a local train station and then contacted Gardaí, after the accused had taken himself off.

Mr McDonnell was later arrested a few days later in Co. Dublin, having carried out a robbery at knife-point; stealing some €280 from a Spar Shop in Coolock, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was informed.

Mr McDonnell, with an address at Macroom Avenue, Coolock, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary of a residence in Curraheenduff, Coalbrook, Thurles, Co Tipperary, on November 4th, 2020, and to robbery and possession of a knife at a Spar shop, in Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin, some 5 days later. Gardaí confirmed that the defender was declared unfit for interview, following his arrest due to the amount of drugs in his system.

The court heard that Mr McDonnell had over 40 previous convictions for robbery and the unauthorised taking of a vehicle.

Judge Ms Elma Sheahan stated that the victims of the burglary in Tipperary were an older couple who previously had been nervous having the Rehab Centre close to their home. Indeed numerous residents living in the area had complained about the presence of the centre which was being partially funded by a second hand furniture store in Thurles. The Court heard that the victims of the burglary were since afraid of returning home for fear they could encounter further intruders.

Judge Sheahan sentenced Mr McDonnell to five years in prison but suspended the final two years on strict conditions, that Mr McDonnell remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years.

Fraud Prevention Advice

Fraud Prevention Advice Regarding Automated Phone Calls and Texts.

Tipperary Gardaí are urging the public to spread the word regarding fraud prevention, as people continue to fall victim to scams on a daily basis.

In recent days Tipperary Divisional Gardai have been alerted to an increase of Scam phone calls whereby the recipient is called and advised via a recorded message that An Garda Síochána is investigating them in relation to suspicious activity linked to their PPS number. In order to rectify the situation the recipient is then advised to press a number to speak to someone further in relation to the matter.

Clonmel Gardai are issuing a warning to the public about fraudulent texts, emails and phone call scams requesting personal data, after receiving numerous complaints in the past week.

Banks, the Department of Social Welfare, An Garda Siochana etc. will never contact you via phone or email requesting personal details such as your PPS number or Bank Account details.

PLEASE DO REMEMBER:

Do Not Engage with the caller or return the call.
Never Share Personal Information with anyone online, by text or on a cold call.
A Member of An Garda Siochana or a Department of Social Protection employee would never advise a member of the Public to move money from their account or to purchase cryptocurrency or move their money anywhere to keep it safe.
Do not follow the automated instructions – Do not press 1 etc.
Never disclose personal or financial information.
Hang up and block the number if possible.

Whilst the scammers may change their stories and methods, their goal is always the same – they want to access your sensitive information and get their hands on your money.
If you believe you have received such a text, via email or phone call, please be advised to contact either your bank branch, local Garda station (Thurles 0504-25100) or the Department of Social Protection helpline number (1890 800 024.)

Drugs Valued €124,500 Seized In Dundrum, Co. Tipperary.

Gardaí have arrested a male aged in his 20’s and seized cannabis herb, cocaine and tablets valued at 124,500 euros, following a search in Tipperary, yesterday.

Gardaí from Tipperary Drugs Unit and Tipperary District, together with the Cork Dog Unit and Customs carried out a search in the Dundrum area of the county shortly after 11:00am.

This search resulted in the seizure of cannabis estimated to be worth 60,000 euros, cocaine worth 24,500 euros and tablets valued at 40,000 euros.

A number of mobile phones; paraphernalia associated with the distribution/supply of drugs; together with a sum of cash were also seized.

The man arrested in connection with the search was taken to Tipperary Garda Station where he is currently being held.

‘Flubot’ – New Text Scam In Circulation.

Vodafone are warning Irish customers of a dangerous new sophisticated scam text, which has begun circulating called ‘Flubot’.

Currently this scam only affects Android users, however it is believed that same could also soon affect Apple users.

This Flubot SMS (short message service), is now circulating in Ireland and customers are being asked to take the following actions should they receive same SMS from a company they do not recognise, regarding the tracking of a package.

(1) IGNORE: Do not click on any link included in the message.

(2) DELETE: Remove the full SMS from your phone immediately.

While the scam will primarily affect Android users, Vodafone encourage users of all handsets to be cautious when receiving such any SMS, particularly when you are not expecting a delivery or a contact from a courier.

The National Cyber Security Centre have expanded on these new tactics being employed by fraudsters.
Quote, “Such messages typically contain a link for the victim to click on to get details of a missed package delivery. This link will direct the victim to a fake website replicating the legitimate delivery company’s site. The victim will then be asked to download two .apk files which are banking trojans. Users will then be prompted to manually override and allow an untrusted app download.”

[Trojan: A trojan, is a type of malicious code or software that looks legitimate is designed to damage, disrupt, steal, or in general inflict harmful action on your data or network.]

[APK file: An APK file is an app created for Android, Google’s mobile operating system. Some apps come pre-installed on Android devices, while other apps can be downloaded from Google Play.]

We are aware here in Thurles of individuals receiving similar type SMS messages as shown hereunder.