Plenty of brazen crooks have been caught on CCTV recently – with the latest video from Cork’s largest town showing three people breaking into and stealing a family car from a driveway in the early hours.

Shocking video captured at 5:30am this morning in Carrigaline shows the culprits parking up at the end of a resident’s driveway in their own car, before getting out to break into the owner’s Toyota. The resident told CorkBeo that one of the thieves got back into their own vehicle and left the scene, while the other two got into her car and drove it away – taking with it the child’s seat and toys inside.

Thankfully, Gardaí contacted the owner this afternoon to let her know they have recovered the stolen vehicle a 20-minute drive away from where it was taken – but the identity of the culprits remains unknown.

The Toyota is a Japanese import, which typically don’t come with immobilisers fitted as standard. It means the vehicles are more vulnerable to break-ins, with a number of Japanese imports subject to thefts across Cork in recent months.

A screenshot from the CCTV footage

The increasing prevalence of CCTV cameras, dashcams and Ring doorbells means more and more thieves are being caught on video. Earlier this month, people were recorded in the Glenville area, near Watergrasshill, checking car doors and rummaging inside vehicles – and even returning the next night to make their way systemically through properties in the area – jumping over garden walls and trying vehicle handles all while staying away from front doors to avoid getting caught on doorbell cameras.

Elsewhere, north of Cork city, a would-be thief was caught on Ring footage searching for spare keys under a doormat. It follows another attempted theft in Cork city last month, where a mum woke up to unsettling footage that showed a man searching her car and trying to open her front door in the dead of night. Aoife, a mother of two living in Blackrock, alerted Gardaí early this morning and shared the footage online.

Gardaí across the country have also issued a number of alerts about car thefts in recent weeks, as well as tips on what you can do to protect yourself. This includes a warning over thieves using new, modern technology that allows them to access keyless cars. Gardaí in Tipperary also issued the following advice in recent days as they warned motorists to stay vigilant against prowling crooks:

Lock all car doors and remove valuables from displayDon’t leave your car runningSecure all downstairs windows and doorsStore house and car keys safely(away from windows and doors)Activate your house alarm.Contact Gardaí if you notice anything suspicious

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