GARDAÍ used new legislative powers for the first time this week, seizing dozens of scrambler bikes in Limerick City, where use of the bikes for transporting drugs and in anti-social behaviour has become a daily scourge.
“In the course of the operation, a total 21 searches were carried out at locations across Limerick City resulting the seizure of 44 scrambler bikes and off-road vehicles, a Garda spokesman said.
“Five individuals were arrested as part of ongoing investigations for suspected Endangerment and Dangerous Driving and other related matters,” he added.
The planned Garda operation involved 30 Gardaí with additional support from the Armed Response Unit (ASU) led by Limerick City South (Roxboro Road) and Limerick City North (Henry Street) Community Engagement Functional areas “through ongoing collaborative policing initiatives between the two areas”.
Welcoming the new search and seizure powers under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, Superintendent Andrew Lacey, Henry Street Garda Station, said it had “given us the capacity to carry out this targeted operation to confront a growing problem in the city”.
“Through our various interactions in JPCs (joint policing committees) and local community meetings we received a clear message that this behaviour is causing fear, intimidation, and distress across the city,” Supt Lacey said.
“We are acutely aware of the problem ourselves and can correlate the use of scramblers and e scooters to criminal activities with a number of detections in the Sale and Supply of drugs in recent months,” he said.
“With the new powers in place we plan to continue with these operations if those responsible continue to break the law, cause harm to communities or have a detrimental effect on business and traders in the city centre.”
The new search and seizure powers were signed into law on the 31st of July last, and for the first time legislates for dangerous and anti-social use of scrambler motorcycles and off-road mechanically propelled vehicles (MPVs).
The crackdown use of scramblers swung into operation on Tuesday “in tandem with a wider Garda operation targeting organised crime” a Garda source said.
The wider operation resulted in five men and three women being arrested and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, as well as the Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994, after guns, cash, and drugs were seized by Gardai, following searches in Limerick, Clare, and Cork.
Members of the Defence Forces, who supported Gardaí in the organised crime crackdown sweep, carried out a controlled explosion on a viable pipe-bomb in order to make it safe, after it was found in the search of a field in County Limerick.
Gangs are using youths to transport drugs, guns, and other weapons across the city, reliable sources told the Limerick Post.
Up until now, Gardaí were largely hamstrung by a lack of legislation around tackling the illegal use of the scrambler bikes.
Gardaí had been planning these search and seize tactics for a number of weeks, Garda sources said, because their use in illegal activities in Limerick City had exploded in recent times.
“It’s just got out of control and they were doing some damage around the town, so we had to act,” said a Garda source.
“We were just waiting for the legislation, and that’s why this is significant, because it is the first time the legislation has been used,” they said.
“The new legislation, which was signed off on the 21st July, has given us these additional powers and this is the first time it has been used.”
“It has given Gardaí the power to search and seize in and around houses, which wouldn’t have been there previously.”
Rank and file Garda have been ordered by management not to engage in high speed pursuits of scramblers as it would be considered too dangerous for other road users as well as the scrambler riders themselves, who in some circumstances wear makeshift balaclavas and unsafe head gear.
“So this is the way to do it. The message to them will be if they want to keep doing it, we’ll keep doing this now, and it will be a constant thing, so hopefully it’ll change behaviours,” the Garda source warned.