Gardaí are hunting an eastern European gang who stole five thousand euro from a 73-year-old woman in County Waterford who had just taken the cash from a bank to pay for her brother's funeral.
The Irish Independent reports that detectives believe the gang, of two men and two women in their 20s or 30s - are responsible for a number of distraction-style thefts in Waterford and other areas in the South East over the past month.
Another brother of the 73-year-old woman, who had the cash stolen said it had been withdrawn from a bank in Dungarvan.
The 79-year-old had been buried just four days before the cash was stolen from his sister.
The €5,000 had been saved up by him out of his pension over a 10-year period to pay for his own funeral.
He says his sister was clearly watched in the bank, was then followed by a woman, and when she came to the church and stopped because a funeral was taking place, she was approached from behind by a foreign-sounding man.
He showed her a map and then asked her for directions in broken English.
She pointed out to him that it was a map of the UK and not Ireland. The fella then said 'sorry' and left.
It was a short time later the woman realised that the money had been taken from her bag.
The 79-year-old had been buried just four days before the cash was stolen from his sister.
The €5,000 had been saved up by him out of his pension over a 10-year period to pay for his own funeral.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to contact Dungarvan gardaí on (058) 48600.
