Thousands of euro in cash and goods were taken in a daring burglary at a general store on Dublin’s Parnell Street last weekend.
The owner of MH Ventures, Greg Umeh told Metro Éireann that thieves broke into the premises through the ceiling some time between the close of business on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
He said he only discovered what had happened “about 10am when we came to open the shop”, where he provides money transfers and internet access as well as selling mobile phones and computers.
According to Umeh: “We found all the locks, including the shutters and keys, intact. But on getting in through the passage, we saw that the door to the shop was open. On getting inside, we saw there was a breakage.”
Umeh said the burglars, who gained entry to the premises by removing the roof and ceiling, stole a large amount of cash and other items worth thousands of euro, including 35 mobile phones, computer parts and accessories, and 20 laptops (eight of them brand new).
He said the cash was for money transfers taken in on Friday evening and due to be deposited in the bank on Monday morning. “I believe that there could be many more things stolen from the shop when a proper record is taken,” he added.
Umeh told Metro Éireann that this is the fourth time his business has been targeted by thieves.
“When I was burgled last year, almost at the same period, about 150 phones were stolen from the shop,” he recalled.
The shop owner added that he felt gardaí were not doing enough to protect him or recover his stolen goods.
Following last year’s burglary “they took an inventory and later came back to tell me that they’ve checked their camera and that there’s hope.
“They said they would get back to me, but I have not heard anything from them.”
He also recounted a previous incident from two years ago when a number of phones were taken. A garda returned one of the phones, “which he said they recovered from someone. The IMEI code and price tag on the phone marched with my stock.
“The garda told me they would do a further investigation and get back to me, but I have never heard anything about it to date.”
Umeh expressed his annoyance that no one has been charged in connection to any of the robberies at his store. And like previous incidents, he expects his latest ordeal to be just another statistic.
The Nigerian is among a number of immigrant entrepreneurs in the city who shared with Metro Éireann their belief that race is the main motive behind these crimes. And they have called on the Garda to do more to help them.
“I believe that immigrant businesses are being targeted,” said Umeh. “Efforts should be made by gardaí to protect our businesses.”
Gardaí have confirmed to Metro Éireann they they are investigating the burglary at Umeh’s premises. They have asked anyone who might have any information related to the incident to contact Store Street Garda Station at 01 666 8000.
Meanwhile, an immigrant has accused gardaí of discrimination in handling Umeh's call for assistance.
The man, who did not want to be named, told Metro Éireann that while gardaí did not respond to Umeh's call for more than two hours, it took five minutes for them to answer a hoax call from a member of the immigrant community alleging that “a black man was beating an Irishwoman on Parnell Street”.
The man claimed that this difference confirmed a long-held view among many immigrants that the Garda is a “racist organisation”.
