Operation Thor

As part of Garda Operation Thor which targets organised crime gangs involved in burglaries, exhibits were submitted to the laboratory following a burglary carried out at an industrial premises in Tralee.

A hole had been drilled through the wall of the premises causing thousands of euro worth of damage and a safe containing €30,000 euro was removed from the wall and stolen. Items including a torch, a chisel, a drill bit and a packet of cigarette papers were submitted to the laboratory for DNA analysis.

Matching DNA profiles were obtained from the torch and cigarette papers and this DNA profile matched the DNA reference sample from one of the suspects. DNA elements matching this suspect were also obtained from the chisel. In March 2022, a jury at the Circuit Court, Limerick, heard expert witness testimony from the FSI scientist in this case.