Appeal after masked men driving silver Audi linked to two burglaries in Mayo and Roscommon

Gardai are investigating burglary incidents in Mayo and Roscommon on Sunday with locals fearing they may be linked.

A robbery was reported at a house in Belmullet, Co Mayo, on Sunday lunchtime and now an image of the potential suspects has been released by a local car dealership.

"They rooted through the families’ home and ripped out all the drawers,” said a source.

Locals and neighbours in the vicinity of the crime scene say the family home targeted in Belmullet was under surveillance by the gang.

"We think they saw the home owner leave but they didn’t know there was somebody else asleep in the house. They went in through the back door at 12.10 and pulled out all their drawers.

"The younger family member woke up with a man inside the door, shouting. There was a verbal confrontation and the thieves scarpered after that.

“They surveilled the house, local businesses have captured them on cctv footage driving back and forth,” the source said.

“It was a silver coloured Audi A3. It was very traumatic, very frightening. Something similar happened three hours later in Roscommon, same description, same car, obviously nobody can be sure if it’s the same people.

“Hopefully someone may have seen them in a petrol station or somewhere else, maybe on dash-cam and can assist the guards. We don’t want this happening to anybody else.”

Local factories caught the car on camera as did a car dealership.

“Did anyone notice three men in a Silver 5-Door Audi A3 in the Belmullet area at around midday on Sunday March 12th?” a Kevin Kennedy Motors representative said on social media.

Kevin Kennedy Motors speculated on the gang’s next destination:

“They also drove through Mayo, Roscommon and possibly into Galway.

“Maybe you noticed them at a service station or restaurant? Or maybe you spotted them on your dash cam?

“If you have any information please contact us asap or Belmullet Gardai on 097 81910.

“We would like to find them urgently and offer to buy this stunning Audi A3.”

Following this, a community alert group in county Roscommon warned other residents about a silver Audi A3 with three males who were disturbed during another break-in at a house, in a location between Ballymurray and Rahara.

Declan Geraghty of Galway Co Council subsequently released a community alert, advising residents in the county of Galway to be ‘alert’ for the suspects.

Gardaí today said they are investigating a burglary that occurred in the Belmullet area of Co. Mayo, Sunday 12th March 2023. No arrests have been made, investigations are ongoing.

Gardaí are also investigating a burglary that occurred in the Knockcroghery area of Roscommon, Sunday 12th March 2023. No arrests have been investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with the Gardaí.