Duo arrested near Tuam in relation to Achill burglary

Anton McNulty

CCTV cameras at the entrance to Achill Island have been instrumental in the identification of a car and the arrest of two men in connection with a burglary on the island last week.
Two men were arrested near Tuam, Co Galway, after the car they were driving was intercepted by gardaí on the N17 at Farranamartin on Thursday afternoon. A search of the car found drugs, cash and property, understood to be the proceeds of criminal activity in Mayo, Galway and Clare in recent days.
Brett’s Stores in Achill Sound was robbed in the early hours of last Tuesday morning, when access was gained at the back of the building at approximately 12.30am. A number of items, including cigarettes, tobacco, lighters and cash, were taken.
The Mayo News understands that some of the items stolen from Brett’s Stores were found in the car following the arrests.
“They were caught on the CCTV entering and exiting the island, and from this footage gardaí were able to identify who was responsible,” a Garda spokesperson told The Mayo News.
“This shows just how important the CCTV cameras in Achill are to policing on the island. Without them, this arrest might not have taken place so quickly.”
The two men – one aged in his 20s, the other in his 40s – have addresses in Mayo and are known to gardaí. They are also believed to have been involved in burglaries that occurred in Westport a number of weeks ago.
Following their arrest, the two men were charged and remanded in custody. They are expected to appear in court in Galway later this week.