An average 135 phones get stolen in Ireland every week

Mobile phones worth about 5 million stolen in Ireland in the last 20 months. Garda’s figures say that 11,488 mobiles got disappeared from 2019 January to August 2020. This means at an average 135 phones get stolen every week. The figures were released by Garda Siochna.

Dublin has reported the highest number of mobile phone thefts. Snatchers were able to steal 2,868 phones from the DMR South Central Division alone. During the same period, 1,869 phones were stolen from the DMR North Central Division. Of the 11,488 stolen phones, only 1,176 (10%) were recovered. Thieves ‘like’ expensive top branded phones.

Garda is launching a campaign to prevent these kinds of theft. As part of this, people will be encouraged to download and activate the Location Finder app in their phones. If the phone is lost or stolen, this is a great opportunity to get it back.

During her vacation in Kerry, a woman lost her phone. She was having the location finder app in her phone and as a result the Gardai were able to locate and find the phone within 48hr from Port Leish.

The thief was caught using a tracking app installed by her 12-year-old son on the phone. The thief was arrested during a joint investigation by the Gardai in Kenmer and Port Liege.

Officials also advise people to pay attention to the phone’s unique IMEI number. The number can be found inside the phone’s battery compartment. The IMEI number can be found in the bath pull-out tray of phones or in the anterior compartment behind iPhones.

Phone users can access their model IMEI number by dialing * # 06 #. Garda says the IMEI number can be used for future reference and it would be easier to find the right owner of the phone if he knew about the IMEI number.

 Garda advised people to contact the local station immediately if the phone was stolen and never to track and follow the stolen phone individually. Garda said people should include another emergency contact number of their own on their phone thus, if a lost or stolen phones are found, the officers can contact that person.