Cork gardaí using social media to hunt for organisers of foiled JD Sports raid
A hunt is on to track the organisers of a planned mass raid on a sports shop in Cork.
Gardaí prevented more than 100 masked teenagers from potentially storming JD Sports on Patrick Street after messages circulated on social media urging people to descend on the shop wearing balaclavas, dressed in black and 'ready to run.'
Superintendent Mick Comyns, head of serious crime in Cork, said that no one has been questioned in relation to Friday evening's incident but that investigations are ongoing.
“We are trying to track social media to find out who organised this," he said.
“Social media is used all the time by people involved in crime. So it's not unusual in that regard.
“But this is the first time we've had an incident like this in Cork city.
"It was in Cork last week, but it could be anywhere in the country – or in the world – next week," he warned.
“The people involved were all in their teens, of school-going age. And they were from all over the city,” he said.
A message inciting the would-be riot was spread on social media last week, called 'JD Cork City Robbery.'
It read: “Location: McDonald’s at 5:30 on Friday the 8th November. Dress code: You must wear all black with bally and gloves. You only have 1 minute to yam that shop. This is at your own risk. Don’t come if you can’t run. Don’t come in uniform”.
But as more than 100 teenagers descended on the area shortly after 6pm, the riot squad, an armed support unit and gardai on foot also took to the streets and quelled any pending riot.
It is believed that the foiled incident may have been modelled on similar gang raids on JD Sports stores in London, Belgium and Holland in recent weeks.
