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Some € 5 million worth of mobile phones were stolen in Ireland over the past 20 months.
Gardaí received reports of 11,488 stolen mobile phones between January 2019 and August 2020, which is equivalent to around 135 phones each week.
The figures were compiled by the An Garda Síochána Analysis Service.
Garda divisions in Dublin accounted for the highest number of stolen phones, with 2,868 phones seized in DMR’s South Central Division alone.
1,869 phones were reported to have been stolen in the DMR North Central Division during that period, according to the figures.
The garda divisions of Limerick, Kildare, Galway and Cork City also recorded high numbers of stolen phones.
Figures show that of the more than 11,488 stolen phones, only 1,176 or 10% have been recovered.
Today, gardaí is launching a campaign to encourage people to download and activate a trusted location search app so that if their phone is lost or stolen, they have a better chance of getting it back.
Meath Crime Prevention Officer Sgt. Dean Kerins said the price of mobile phones makes them a clear target for criminals.
He cited the example of a Trim woman in Co Meath whose phone was stolen while on vacation in Co Kerry this summer.
Valerie Nohilly used a tracking app installed by her 12-year-old son to find her phone, which was later located in Co Laois.
Gardaí in Kenmare and Portlaoise worked together and within 48 hours a man was arrested and the phone was recovered during a follow-up search.
“I was surprised that my 12-year-old son had activated a tracking device a few weeks earlier. An hour after his phone was stolen, he used my laptop to deactivate the phone,” Ms. Nohilly said.
“We were very fortunate that the Mace staff in Kenmare were kind enough to put us in touch with Garda Seán Twomey, who couldn’t have been more helpful.
“Thanks to his quick actions and those of the gardaí in Portlaoise, I was reunited with my phone less than 48 hours after it was taken.”
Gardaí is advising people to contact their local station if their phone is stolen. “Do not follow the person through their tracking app,” Sgt. Kerins warned.
They also urge people to add an emergency contact number to their phone, so that if they receive a lost or stolen phone, officers can reach that person.
“Our property stores across the country receive a large number of lost and stolen phones that we cannot trace back to the owners. Adding the emergency contact will help solve this problem,” he said.
Officials are also advising people to make a note of their phone’s unique IMEI number.
The IMEI number can be found inside the battery compartment of many phones and can be found on the removable tray or on the back of iPhones.
Phone users can also access their model’s IMEI number by dialing * # 06 #, which they are then advised to keep for future reference.
Gardaí says that a phone can be traced back to its rightful owner more easily if they know the IMEI number.
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