Five people have been arrested on suspicion of impersonating members of An Garda Síochána. 

Those under arrest are said to have visited rural homes dressed in Garda uniforms under the pretence of investigating burglaries of cash in the area. Once inside the house, they asked to see cash in the possession of the owner and then proceeded to confiscate it.  

Officers in Kilkenny have been investigating gangs operating in 15 counties and today’s arrests were made with support from Regional Armed Support Units. 

2HFGF0E Garda inscription on a police jacket from Ireland

Two of those arrested are men in their 30s, another is a man in his 50s, the fourth is a woman in her 50s and the fifth is a man in his 60s. 

Following the arrests, An Garda Síochána has advised the public they will never cold call at a house and ask to inspect cash in such a manner. 

Members of the public have the right to ask a Garda for his or her name and to confirm this detail with their local Garda station. 

An Garda Síochána says anyone in any doubt should not open their door - even if the individual asking to come in purports to be a Garda.

A member of An Garda Síochána. Picture by: Alamy.com