[MEDIA]Thieves rowed out to raid yachts for prized engines

[jd]

From the Herald

AN ORGANISED gang of thieves have been targeting Dublin harbours to steal yacht engines.

Gardai are warning boat owners to take extra precautions after three engines were stolen in a well planned operation.

It is understood that the gang are selling them overseas.

Three men in a dinghy boat were seen acting suspiciously around Skerries harbour on May 31 and boat owners realised the engines were gone the next morning.

Gardai have launched an investigation into the robbery, which is part of a trend occurring in harbours like Malahide, Carlingford and along the Shannon in recent years, according to locals.

Declan Higgins, one of the boat owners whose €1,000 outboard engine was stolen, said his boat Tully Too was impossible to access without a boat and therefore the robbery was planned. "It's about a quarter of a mile out to sea. You can't go out to it unless you have a boat. And apparently three guys in a dinghy were going around from boat to boat.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city ... 71771.html