Emotional scenes as members of notorious ATM gang remanded in custody

Three brothers were remanded in custody at the Special Criminal Court on February 1st pending sentencing following their guilty pleas to involvement in a cross-border ATM theft gang. Stephen, Gerard and Ciaran Duffy had admitted participating in a criminal organisation that used stolen heavy machinery and vehicles to extract automated teller machines from premises across Cavan, Monaghan and Meath between 2018 and 2019. The gang's operation concluded in August 2019 when specialist gardaí intervened during an attempted theft at Virginia, Co Cavan, ramming a stolen vehicle and apprehending two members. Prosecution evidence indicated approximately €790,000 was stolen across five successful thefts. A total of €417,830 in cash was subsequently recovered by gardaí, along with a money-counting machine. The three-judge court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, adjourned sentencing to March 4th. A fifth man charged in connection with the investigation, Niall Finnegan, was previously sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment, with eighteen months suspended, for possessing proceeds from the thefts.