Gardaí seized approximately €30,000 of suspected cocaine and arrested one man during the course of a search in Listowel yesterday.
The search under warrant, which was undertaken as part of Operation Tara by members attached to Listowel Garda Station, Kerry Divisional Drug Unit and the Southern Regional Dog Unit, occurred at a residence in the town yesterday evening.
Suspected cocaine with an estimated value of €31,850 along with drug paraphernalia was seized during the course of the search.
The seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.
A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and detained at a Garda station in Kerry under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. He has since been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Investigations are ongoing.
.Andrew Foley, Aisling Powell (Yummy Cafe), Alannah Foley, Adam Foley, Kathy Prendergast (Yummy Cafe), Geraldine Foley with the €1,000 raised at the Yummy event.
YUMMY Cafe in Tralee held a coffee morning and fundraiser on Wednesday last and with the tremendous support of the community, the event raised a total of €1,000 to aid Alannah and Adam Foley in their courageous battle against Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).
The event, aimed at supporting the Foley family, saw an outpouring of generosity from local businesses and café customers alike.
Every purchase of coffee, cake, and tea contributed directly to the cause, demonstrating the incredible solidarity of our community.
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Andrew Foley, father of Alannah and Adam, expressed his heartfelt appreciation: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support shown by the community. The funds raised will make a meaningful difference in providing ongoing care and treatment for Alannah and Adam. We are truly grateful.”
Yummy Cafe extended its sincere thanks to all the local businesses for their generosity in providing spot prizes, and customers who contributed to the success of the fundraiser.
KERRY County Council and Kerry Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) invite applications for funding under the Department of Rural & Community Development’s Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, announced a new €6 million capital fund to support small community groups and organisations, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
Kerry received a total of €180,000 under the Scheme to assist community groups across the County.
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Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Jim Finucane, encouraged community and voluntary groups to apply to the fund which offers a valuable opportunity to progress important projects and initiatives across the county.
Any not-for-profit community or voluntary group can apply. Commercial organisations and individuals are not eligible for funding. Women’s Groups will also be entitled to apply for the general funding available for community groups under the Local Enhancement Programme.
The closing date for submission of applications is Monday 26th February 2024. For more information, visit the Kerry County Council website at https://www.kerrycoco.ie/
THIS Valentine’s Day, An Garda Síochána is advising the public to beware of romance scams and criminals who are taking advantage of an increase in the popularity of dating apps among those seeking romance.
Of the 245 victims that have come forward to An Garda Síochána since 2020, the majority were female and their average financial loss was €28,500. The highest reported loss by a female in Ireland was over €450,000 stolen in 18 transactions, while one male victim had more than €380,000 taken.
In one case in the south-west of the country, a woman aged in her 40s lost €35,000. She spoke with a fraudster for months, exchanging photos having met online on a dating site and soon they were a couple despite her being based in the south-west and he living overseas.
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During the course of their online relationship, he claimed that his construction business was failing and he required financial support. In the course of 100 transactions, €35,000 was stolen from this victim.
Typically, fraudsters use someone else’s photos to set up a fake profile on dating apps and online dating sites to scour through profiles to identify potential victims who they will then target and groom over a sustained period in an effort to extract their money.
Their profile usually depicts a person that has a responsible job but is most often fictitiously based in a location which makes them unable to travel or move freely, and has poor phone network or internet connection i.e. working on an offshore oil rig, an aid worker, a humanitarian doctor or a soldier in a worn-torn country.
They’ll match or connect on the dating app and quickly encourage their victim to move to a messaging app or email. They’ll say all the right things because they follow prepared scripts.
Their background may seem legit – they will usually claim to have been married and now widowed or divorced, have grown up children and be seeking a platonic relationship but that is all part of the ploy.
The requests for money start small and in some instances if these initial asks are provided for by the victim, they will be repaid so as to build trust. The fraudster will have more than one victim at any given time.
In time, the requests will increase in amount and before a victim necessarily realises it they’re being pressured to pay anything from essential medical bills and custom duties, to purchasing flights and Visa’s.
On occasion these requests for dig outs can become an investment pitch – with the fraudster claiming to have a great financial opportunity which often involves Crypto.
They will encourage their victim to invest on the basis that they will make a quick profit, and the fraudster will even go so far as to provide all the expertise to facilitate the transaction(s).
The most common conclusion is that a victim will begin to start asking questions of their money and when it becomes apparent that it has been stolen, the fraudster will cut contact and block them.
Once reported, the investigation into these crimes will usually indicate that the victim’s money has been transferred to a bank account, Crypto account or what is known as a ‘Cold Storage Wallet’ or a ‘Cold Wallet’ outside of Ireland.
Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said, “A victim will be made believe that they have met their perfect match online, but are in fact being terribly deceived. It becomes a huge invasion of privacy and a breach of trust which can impact your whole view of people and the possibility of romance, but it’s important to remember that this fraud and it is a crime.
“It is often the case that a victim’s money is transferred overseas to fund organised criminal activities such as terrorism, human trafficking, people smuggling and even corruption. An Garda Síochána work closely with both Europol and Interpol to disrupt those involved in fraud of this nature as part of our investigations into romance scams.
“If you have previously been or believe that you are a victim of a romance scam, please speak with us at any Garda Station. This can very easily happen and no one should feel embarrassed, we are here to help and will treat every report in confidence.”
An Garda Síochána’s advice:
• Use a reputable dating site and its messaging function to help avoid moving to social media or texting too quickly
• Take the image(s) they are using on their profile and Google Reverse Image Search
• Be careful of what personal details you share on your profile and do not give your address, a copy of your passport or driving licence
• Be wary of anyone asking lots of questions about you but not revealing much about themselves, or anyone asking you to video call but they won’t
• Never, ever send money or give your bank details including online banking password to someone you have met online
• Do not make any payment on the pretence that they visit you
• Do not invest your money in any opportunity offered by a person that you’ve connected with online – always seek independent financial and legal advice
• Do not download any app that they ask you to i.e. AnyDesk
• If you become suspicious, save all your correspondence with the individual and immediately make contact with your bank and any Garda Station
• Look out for inconsistencies like they’re university educated, but their spelling and grammar is below average.
• Act on instinct if you spot gaps in their story which can often occur as the fraudster mixes up which victim they are speaking with.
.Members of Tralee Manor West Bicycle Club set to host The Lacey Cup on Sunday March 3rd Photo by George Doyle, Neustock Media.
THE 69th edition of the Lacey Cup hosted by Tralee Manor West Bicycle Club will be held on Sunday, March 3,
As is customary, the Lacey Cup will be the grand opener to the Munster Road Racing season. The challenging 75 km circuit always lends itself to aggressive racing with cyclists eager to test themselves and to show some good early season form.
Some of Ireland’s top riders will be in action on the day, all intent on taking home the coveted Lacey Cup. Tralee Manor West Bicycle Club will also offer a generous prize fund of €1,200.
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The A4 race will be run separately to the main A1/A2/A3 race. In a departure from the norm, John Mitchels GAA (V92 N522) will be the new race HQ and venue.
The races will have a single 3km neutralised roll out from John Mitchels. Departure from the HQ will be at 12:15pm sharp.
Following a brief stop, racing will officially commence from George Poff’s Garage on the Dingle Road at 12.30 and will pass through Blennerville at 12.35, Camp (13.00), Upper Camp, Gleann na nGealt (13.10), Annascaul (13.25), Inch (13.30), Boolteens (13.50), Castlemaine (13.55), Sliabh Mish (14.05) and finishing at 14.15 at the 60kph speed sign opposite Skehanagh Cross on the Killorglin Road on outskirts of Tralee.
The main A1/A2/A3 race is run on a handicap basis consisting of 3 groups with the first group of A3 category riders, followed by the A2 category riders, and finally the group of elite A1 category riders.
The separate A4 race will start approximately 5 mins after the A1 riders are underway and will follow the same race route.
The first prime of the race is Gleann na nGealt and will likely be hotly contested between the A3 riders.
Following Gleann na nGealt, the A1 and A2 groups will work hard to catch the race leaders as they head towards Inch. After Castlemaine the riders will climb Sliabh Mish mountain and contest the second prime for The Teddy Griffin Memorial Cup.
Sliabh Mish mountain is usually where the race is broken up into a small group of elite A1 and A2 riders, with the expected winner coming from these groups.
Entry fee is €30, and registration is online only. Link to: 2024 Lacey Cup Registration. Sign-on at race HQ will also be required between 10:00 and 11:30 on the morning of the event.
Regrettably the entry cost has increased this year due to the significant rise in expenses associated with running the event in 2024.
It all promises to be an exciting day of racing with plenty of action along the route to keep spectators entertained. Presentation of prizes will be at John Mitchels GAA, where there will be refreshments along with access to showers and changing rooms.
To celebrate the Lacey Cup, Manor West Hotel are also offering a discounted accommodation rate. For full details, call 066 7194500 and quote ‘Lacey Cup 2024’ to avail of offers.
For event updates follow us on social media or for further information please email traleebc.secretary@gmail.com
Gardaí seized approximately €30,000 of suspected cocaine and arrested one man during the course of a search in Listowel yesterday.
KERRY County Council and Kerry Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) invite applications for funding under the Department of Rural & Community Development’s Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024.
THIS Valentine’s Day, An Garda Síochána is advising the public to beware of romance scams and criminals who are taking advantage of an increase in the popularity of dating apps among those seeking romance.
