LATEST: Kildare gardaí intercept car and seize vehicles as part of anti-burglary operation

One man has been arrested and vehicles have been seized as part of investigations into burglaries in Mid-Leinster.

Gardaí in Kildare arrested one man and seized a number of vehicles on Wednesday, February 1 as part of an investigation undertaken under Operation Thor, targeting the activities of criminals suspected of being involved in burglaries in the Mid-Leinster area.

Detective Gardaí from Kildare intercepted a vehicle they believed was carrying stolen property in the Athy area at approximately 10:50am this morning.

A man in his late 20s was arrested at the scene. He is currently being detained at Kildare Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

A caravan was seized by Gardaí which was suspected to have been stolen. In a subsequent follow-up search, Gardaí seized a 231 Toyota Landcruiser which is suspected to be the proceeds of crime. 

Investigations are ongoing.

Operation Thor, launched in November 2015, is designed to tackle the anticipated increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occur in winter months by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity. This initiative has successfully reduced the rate of winter burglaries, leading to a significant decline in property related crime since its introduction in 2015.

The Winter Phase of Operation Thor was launched in September 2022.