Two men appeared at Longford District Court last Friday, 21 June, charged with the possession of stolen tractors, a stolen Toyota Hilux and several forgery offences.

The tractors had been stolen in the UK, while the 4x4 was stolen from a farmer in Wexford.

The charges follow a lengthy investigation by garda detectives from the Granard District, Co Longford, and members of the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit.

John Alex Kane, 45, of Rathcronan Motors and Cartron, Granard, Co Longford, was charged on eight counts.

They include possession of a stolen John Deere 6220 tractor worth €30,000, which was stolen from The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, in the UK.

He was charged with possession of a New Holland TM155 tractor, valued at €25,000, which was stolen from a UK tillage farmer, J.A. Bedford, from Cambridgeshire.

Kane was also charged with possession of a Toyota Hilux valued at €12,000, stolen from a farmer in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

He was charged with deception by inducing another individual to purchase a stolen John Deere tractor to make a gain, causing loss to another, and damaging the same Toyota Hilux.

He was also charged with presenting false instruments relating to the registration of an Isuzu D-Max, a Land Rover Discovery and a Toyota Hilux in early 2017.

The second man, Tomasz Zieba, 22, of Burrow Road, Derrylinn, Co Fermanagh, and also of Rathcronan Motors, Granard, Co Longford, faced five charges, including possession of the above stolen John Deere 6220 tractor and deception.

Both accused stand remanded on their own bond to appear at Longford District Court next month.

Recovered

The investigation began in May 2017 where four stolen Hitachi diggers worth more than €240,000 were recovered in the Longford/Cavan region.

Seamus Kane, 49, of Ardgullion Edgeworthstown Co Longford, who is a brother of John Alex Kane, has already appeared in court charged with possessing these excavators.

He stands remanded to Longford Circuit Court with a trial date set for November.