Five people have been arrested in connection with investigations into criminal gangs posing as Gardaí.
The arrests follow lengthy investigations in more than a dozen counties.
This morning four men, two in their 30s, one in their 50s and one in their 60s, and a woman in their 50s were arrested on suspicion of posing as Garda officers to take part in robbery and fraud.
They are being held in five different detention centers in the eastern region.
Arrests are said to have followed in several cases in which gang members posing as Gardaí knocked on houses in rural areas.
They claimed they were investigating burglaries in the area where the money was stolen and were trying to identify the owners of the cash or counterfeit money.
The owners were then asked to produce their own money so that it could be compared to so-called counterfeit money, after which the thieves got away with the owner’s money.
Gardaí said six searches were carried out in three counties. Among the items confiscated are €3,000 in cash, five vehicles and three Rolex watches.
The arrests follow investigations into criminal gang activity in 15 counties, mainly in the East and Midlands, over the past 10 months.
The public is reminded that genuine Gardaí will always provide official details to verify their identity with the local Gardaí station and will be patient while their identity is verified.
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