'We got him,' Waterford gardaí 'apprehend' man accused of thousands of crimes in just two days

Gardaí in Waterford have taken a very light-hearted approach to highlighting the dangers of a new prank, with very serious consequences.

In a post on Facebook marked “Warning, please read full message,” gardaí are warning that if you get a message from your home containing the male in the picture, then it isn’t real.

“Ladies and gentlemen, rest easy, WE GOT HIM.

“Gardaí attached to Dungarvan Garda Station apprehended this male tonight, wanted for several thousand Burglaries and Trespass incidents all across the country over the past 48 hours. Don't fret, this man won't be seeing the outside of a cell for a long long time.

"Disclaimer: This is the AI male who some of your kids have been pranking you all with. If you happen to get a photo with this male in your house from a naughty relative or child, be warned, it may well be a prank,” wrote Waterford Gardaí.

While the “naughty” sender may think this very funny, there is a very serious side.

Gardaí nationally are warning that this prank is wasting garda resources that could be used for investigating real crime and keeping people safe.

And it may be confusing and distressing for those who receive such a message. 

What might seem like a harmless joke has seen emergency deployments of gardaí and they are asking the public not to engage with the trend.

The An Garda Síochána Facebook page says: "Already on a number of occasions this has resulted in the emergency deployment of Gardaí to an ultimately hoax report of burglary.

"This represents a waste of valuable Garda resources and diverts from genuine emergency calls which require a response. 

"There is a risk that legitimate emergency calls will not receive the necessary urgent attention, which poses serious safety concerns for those who need our immediate assistance.

"We urge everyone not to engage in this prank and to consider the consequences that may result from such activity."