A BOLD shoplifter in Dublin must have thought she had gotten away with it today after making her escape via airplane to another country.
However, the thief was in for the surprise of her life when British officers were waiting for her upon arrival in London.
After reclaiming goods valued at more than €600, Gatwick Police dubbed the successful operation 'true cross border policing'.
According to the official Garda Twitter account, the force responded this morning to reports of a shoplifter, who was initially thought to have stolen €260 worth of goods from the Loop shop in Dublin Airport's Terminal 1.
After taking a description, gardaí tracked the suspected thief via CCTV but were unable to intercept her, getting to the boarding gate for the London Gatwick flight just as the plane was taxiing.
B Section have assisted @gardainfo with a shoplifter flying from Dublin. Officers at LGW identified the offender and have retrieved goods, with items being returned immediately to Dublin on the return flight, with thanks to the @Ryanair crew.
True cross border policing #CC248 pic.twitter.com/vVQe6lKcLG— Gatwick Police (@GatwickPolice) March 29, 2023
Undeterred, gardaí contacted officers from Sussex Police based at Gatwick, providing them with details of the incident and an image of the suspect.
"After Gatwick Police intercepted the person, it was discovered that she had stolen more than €660 worth of items," said gardaí.
"The crew of Ryanair flight FR115 returned the items to Dublin Airport and they were back in retail stores by lunchtime. Teamwork!"
Gatwick Police, whose B Section officers collared the suspect, thanked Ryanair for flying the goods back on the return flight, adding: "True cross border policing."
