Two youths arrested in Letterkenny after being stopped by gardaí in stolen car
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Donegal gardaí have issued theft prevention advice to owners of second-hand imported cars after spate of incidents
Two male youths have been arrested after being stopped by gardaí in a stolen Toyota car in Letterkenny.
Two cars, a Toyota Aqua and a Toyota Vitz, were stolen in Letterkenny on Wednesday, October 28.
Both cars were recovered later that day and had been damaged. Two male youths were arrested on the same day after being stopped by gardaí in one of the stolen cars.
Gardaí in Donegal have issued crime prevention advice for car owners after the thefts and a number of attempted thefts of similar types of cars in Letterkenny between October 27 and November 1. In each instance, a window was smashed and the ignition was tampered with.
Gardaí say many second-hand car imports do not have a fully fitted car alarm system or are without a fitted immobiliser.
This makes them extra vulnerable to hot-wiring. Cars imported from international markets are not automatically manufactured with the same security features as cars manufactured for the European market.
Gardaí are urging buyers and owners of vehicles to confirm the security features of imported vehicles, especially to check if there is an in-built immobiliser and to consider additional security options.
Buyers should check the security features of their vehicles and make decisions relating to augmenting security.
For cars without an immobiliser, an additional steering wheel lock or chain should be considered.
General vehicle security advice includes never leaving keys in the car or ignition, even for a short period, and always ensuring that doors are locked and windows are fully closed.
Motorists are also advised to fit an alarm, retrofit an immobiliser or use a physical lock, and consider installing a vehicle tracker.
Additional precautions include using physical security devices such as steering wheel locks and catalytic converter locks.
Whenever possible, vehicles should be parked in well-lit areas and in locations covered by CCTV.
Any suspicious activity observed around parked cars should be reported to Gardaí immediately.