CRIME groups import signal jammer devices to disable home and car alarms.
Several shipments of the devices have been confiscated by customs officials in the past few weeks.
The gadgets are imported from China.
Two of the shipments were seized in a controlled delivery to an address in Coolock.
It is believed that some of the jammers were ordered directly by gangs, while others are intended for the black market.
The seizures were carried out every three weeks by officials from Dublin Airport.
It is a criminal offense to import or sell jamming devices that are prohibited under a “Wireless Telegraphy Interference Apparatus” order issued by ComReg, which regulates electronic communications.
The jammers can be used to block signals such as GPS and GSM jammers as well as mobile and landline phones as well as home and car alarm systems.
Gardai is testing one of the larger confiscated devices to see if it can be used to attack vans.
Burglars use the devices to prevent the alarm from sounding and then cut the wires before they break into a house.
Thieves can also use them on keyless vehicles. The owner walks away and thinks he has secured the car with the push of a button without realizing that the signal is blocked.
Customs officers told the Irish Independent that this was the first time that they had come across the devices here.
The first telephone interference was found in passengers’ luggage at the end of October.
A week later, officers discovered two shipments for one address.
A few days later, customs officials found eight major jammers, a small signal device, three “super bright” red police lights, 20 digital scales, 20 pocket scales, two laser pens, a micro camera and 20 transformers with cable connections for power supply.
After the controlled delivery to the Coolock address, the house was raided to determine whether other shipments had previously been sent there, but found none.
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