Five people have been arrested as part of an investigation into criminal gangs pretending to be gardaí.
The detentions follow a lengthy investigation in more than a dozen counties.
This morning, four men - two in their 30s, one in his 50s and one in his 60s - and a woman, who is in her 50s, were detained on suspicion of impersonating garda officers to engage in theft and fraud.
They are being held at five separate garda stations across the eastern region.
It is understood the detentions followed several cases where gang members, passing themselves off as gardaí, called to homes in rural areas.
They claimed they were investigating burglaries in the area where sums of cash had been stolen and that they were attempting to identify the owners of the cash, or counterfeit cash.
Homeowners were then asked to produce their own money so it could be compared to the so-called counterfeit currency at which point the homeowner's cash was commandeered by the robbers.
Gardaí said that six searches in three counties were carried out. Among the items seized was €3,000 in cash, five vehicles and three Rolex watches.
The arrests follow investigations into the activities of criminal gangs in 15 counties, primarily in the east and the midlands, over the past 10 months.
The public is reminded that genuine gardaí will always provide official details to allow confirmation of their identity with the local garda station, and will be patient while their identity is being established.
