€15k worth of heavy duty tyres stolen

Gardaí are investigating whether a consignment of high end tyres stolen in a raid on a premises in Mullingar may have been taken to order. 

A planned operation at the premises of Mileage Tyres in the Lynn Industrial Estate is believed to have commenced at about 8pm on Saturday when up to four men cut through fencing at the Mullingar Town Band premises to gain access to the tyre depot.

Three sections of the fence were removed and the raiders used a teleporter which had been parked in the area to load the tyres on to a lorry. 

According to a garda officer, the theft had all the hallmarks of a ‘steal to order’ operation and was carried out with maximum efficiency.

Initial reports indicated that up to 80 heavy duty tyres, with a value of about €15,000, were stolen in the raid.

In CCTV footage of the incident, a lorry is seen being reversed into the car park area of Mullingar Town Band at about 10.30pm and the gang are believed to have been in the area until about 4.15am on Sunday. However, the theft was not discovered until early on Sunday morning and gardaí were alerted.

This week, investigating officers issued an appeal to motorists, particularly taxi drivers, who might have been in Mullingar on Saturday night and have dash cam footage, to contact them.

Apart from the loss incurred by the targeted company, the heist has had a knock-on effect for the neighbouring Mullingar Town Band property. In moving the tyres, the gang caused considerable damage to the green area to the rear of the building where band members practise for marching routines.

Large tracts of the surface were churned up by the machinery used to take the tyres from the yard.