Two men who could not provide an address in the State after being arrested outside a landmark car showroom, were remanded in custody for a week to allow gardaí liaise with Interpol as to their status.
Detective Garda Eamon Cunnane gave evidence in the District Court on Wednesday (March 14 ) in the case of two Lithuanian nationals - Dainius Kulboka (35 ) and Robertas Jurkinas (28 ) - who appeared in court from Garda custody in which they had been kept since their arrest on Monday night (March 12 ).
Detective Cunnane told how the two men in dark clothing were seen by gardaí on patrol on the Bullet Road, Ballykeeran at the entrance of Colm Quinn Motors, at 10.55pm.
When stopped the men “had in their possession a BMW key diagnostic cable and gloves”.
“This is an instrument to clone a key, it would be able to get into the brain of the car,” explained Detective Cunnane.
“Is it a commonly available instrument?” asked Judge Seamus Hughes.
“It is not a commercially available item,” confirmed Garda Cunnane.
He went on to say that neither man could give an explanation for being in that place at that time, and were both “of no fixed abode”.
He said Jurkinas had just been in the country since February 24, while Kulboka only arrived on Saturday. Between them they just had £40, €5, and a credit card with €200 on it.
“How can people take a flight from another European country to take a holiday, be able to afford all that, and yet have paraphenalia on them to take a BMW car?” asked Judge Hughes.
Refusing an application from Mr Padraig Quinn for legal aid at this time, he said: “I don’t know if they know their own adress, or if they’re multi-millionaires. What’s their home address? What’s their phone number? I want to be satisfied I’m being told the truth,” said the judge as he acceded to Inspector Nicholas Farrell’s request to remand both suspects in custody for at least a week to investigate both their backgrounds through Interpol.
“I will ensure one thing, Mr Quinn. They will not become a burden to this State,’ he concluded.
