Crossgar six in court over £61k theft in Fermanagh

Crossgar six in court over £61k theft in Fermanagh

8 August 2018

SIX people from Crossgar have appeared in court following the theft of over £61,000 from a cash machine in Fermanagh last week.

Detectives believe street lighting and alarm wires were cut at a business in Trory on the outskirts of Enniskillen in the early hours of last Thursday before thieves forced entry to the premises.

Several thousand pounds was stolen during the incident which is believed to have taken place between 1.30am and 5.30am.

The accused —  five men and a woman — all live at the same address in Rannoche Close in Crossgar and appeared at a special sitting of Omagh Magistrate’s Court last week.

A Romanian interpreter was used as the six suspects appeared, with four of the men and the woman charged with robbery of the cash machine remanded in custody.

They are Radu Iancu (41), Constantin Dumitra (35), Leonardo Patravici (32), Milan-Adrian Beidac (29) and 30 year-old Anita Petrokci.

The remaining suspect, Statche Aluas (51), was charged with possessing criminal property and granted bail.

During the hearing, a policewoman told the court she believed the defendants were part of an organised crime gang responsible for up to 40 other similar robberies.

She said five street lights were turned off beside the filling station to facilitate the robbery, with those involved allegedly opening a manhole and cutting telephone wires to prevent alarms going off.

The officer said at least four people were seen on CCTV and told the court that a black Mercedes had travelled from Crossgar to Irvinestown the night before the theft, returning to Crossgar at 5am the following day.

The judge ordered all six of the accused to appear in court again on August 28.