Garda warning after cash taken from Moate shop

Gardai are warning businesses to be on the alert for what they are calling distraction type thefts after a large amount of cash was taken from a shop in Moate last week.

Five people, a mix of men and women, walked into a outet in the town on Tuesday last (March 12) at 1.15pm and distracted the sole member of staff on duty.

At the same time, one of the group is thought to have gone into a restricted area in the rear, searched the area and found a large amount of cash. The group left the shop a short time later.

The staff member only discovered the cash missing sometime later that afternoon. CCTV is now being examined in a bid to piece together the movements of the group in Moate.

While Gardai declined to name the shop involved, Sgt Andrew Haran from Athlone Garda Station issued a warning to other businesses in the area to be vigilant for this type of crime, and to be on the alert to large numbers of people coming into the shop at the one time.

He also urged businesses not to keep large quantities of cash on the premises.