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Gangs prey on pubs in scam to target drinkers just over the limit

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Motorists driving home from rural Galway pubs with a few pints on them have been targeted by a new scam which involves them handing over hundreds of euro in some cases.

In recent weeks it has been learned that some members of the Travelling community and some foreign nationals have been parked outside rural pubs waiting for customers to come out.

They then follow the drivers, who invariably have a few pints on board, and then ‘orchestrate’ a collision which might only involve bumpers being touched but results in both vehicles stopping.

The scam artists, in the knowledge that their victims have alcohol on them and may fail a breath test if the Gardaí were called, then extract a cash settlement in lieu of not reporting the incident to the authorities.

Motorists leaving rural pubs in the Ballinasloe and Loughrea areas have already been targeted by the criminals and earlier this week an unsuspecting motorist leaving a pub in Turloughmore ended up being the victim of the same scam.

The middle aged man had a number of pints in one of the local pubs and was on his way home when a car travelling behind him eventually overtook and a slight collision occurred.

Both cars came to a halt and the man who came from the pub was told that if he did not hand over money, the Gardaí would be called and he would most likely fail a breath test.

Not wanting to risk that prospect, the man handed over what is believed to be a substantial amount of cash to the occupants of the other vehicle.

 

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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