The Daily Star Ireland
Gardaí are growing increasingly concerned about a rise in hijacking incidents, particularly in Dublin’s north inner city, where a gang is targeting motorcyclists and e-scooter riders at traffic lights, using knives and other weapons. Officers are actively working to identify the criminals who use motorbikes or mopeds to follow their victims before launching attacks.
Reports suggest that some of these young offenders have been posting videos of their crimes online, raising concerns that they are becoming more violent and emboldened. There is fear that the victims of these attacks could suffer serious injury, in addition to losing their property. Authorities are calling for a coordinated approach to address the issue, but it remains unclear what happens to the stolen vehicles once the criminals take possession of them.
One such incident occurred last month on Dorset Street, where a female motorcyclist was robbed when two men on a moped jumped off and threatened her before speeding off with her bike. Gardaí believe the perpetrators had followed her from her workplace on the south side of the city.
Data gathered by the Irish Independent reveals that there have been over 140 hijacking incidents in Ireland this year, up from 128 in 2023 and 123 in 2022. One of the most recent incidents took place in Clondalkin early on a Tuesday morning, when two men armed with a slash hook attempted to steal a man’s car outside his home. This is just one of about 20 similar incidents in Dublin since the start of October, with most of them resulting in no arrests.
Another alarming incident occurred in Santry last week, when shots were fired during a hijacking. Two criminals forced the owner of a van out of the vehicle and drove off, though no one was injured, and it appears the gunshots were aimed into the air.
Hijackings of e-scooters and e-bikes have also become more common throughout the year, with violence often involved in these incidents. Last month in Dublin’s south inner city, there were two e-scooter-related crimes within just two days. One victim was assaulted by a group of around 10 teenagers who threatened to throw him into the Grand Canal. Another man suffered an eye injury when his e-scooter was stolen by the group.
A particularly troubling case occurred in Dún Laoghaire, where a man’s high-speed electric bike was taken by criminals armed with a bottle of acid and a knife. Similarly, in Coolock, a gang of up to a dozen men attacked a man in an attempt to steal his e-scooter, resulting in head injuries for the victim.
These incidents are part of a larger pattern of violent hijackings and thefts involving multiple suspects targeting vehicles and electric bikes, including another robbery last month in Dublin’s north inner city where a victim was threatened with a knife before five men stole his electric bike.
