Gardaí have arrested three men in the Republic following a “keyless car theft” in Co Armagh in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
In a statement on Wednesday, a detective inspector with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers received a report at about 4.15am that a black BMW X5 Sport had been stolen from the driveway of a house in the Limestone Square area of the city.
The homeowner saw a man dressed in dark clothing with a large backpack on her driveway, and realised her vehicle was missing just before the man made off on foot. The owner still had both sets of keys to the vehicle in her possession.
Detectives subsequently received information from a member of the public that a vehicle matching the description of the stolen car had been seen at an address in the Republic.
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Following a joint operation between the PSNI and the Garda, three men, aged 40, 39 and 67, were arrested by gardaí on suspicion of possession of stolen property. A number of items were seized and taken away for examination. The men remain in custody in the Republic.
PSNI detectives said earlier they were keen to raise awareness among keyless car owners around vehicle safety.
Keyless car systems allow drivers to unlock car doors without handling the key. A sensor in the car detects when the fob is nearby and unlocks the doors. The engine is started by way of a button on the inside of the car.
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