Sophisticated thieves are targeting equipment found on Irish farms to sell on the Russian black market amid a shortage of machinery due to sanctions introduced since the war in Ukraine.
Gardaí believe Irish gangs are deliberately targeting contractors by monitoring the times they come in and out of yards, with drones being used to survey land before thefts, after which the stolen equipment is sold to Russia through the black market.Reports from farmers reference an increase in stolen quad bikes, ATVs and even livestock in the last year, with border counties noting a spike in ATV and quad bike thefts, in particular.
They warned that sophisticated Irish criminal gangs are stealing valuable GPS equipment from farmers and contractors during the night, with 11 such thefts on three farms in north Cork reported.