100,000 kegs a year go missing

Stolen kegs are being advertised for sale, often in batches of more than 100 at a time.

Some 100,000 beer kegs went missing last year in what’s becoming a well-organised racket, believes the Irish Brewers Association.

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And the significant growth in keg thefts has been driven by thieves tracking deliveries to pubs more closely according to Garda Inspector Joe McKenna who warned a recent meeting of Mayo VFI members that thieves now steal both full and empty kegs.

These are stolen shortly after being dropped off, he said, adding, “Criminals are mindful of the times when deliveries are being made”.

He therefore advised publicans to remove fresh keg deliveries from the streets immediately.

“They are worth a lot of money nowadays, both for their contents and the value of the metal in the kegs,” he stated.
Manufacturers and suppliers are suffering diminished stock levels as a result of the huge increase in keg thefts.

The Irish Brewers Association Senior Executive Thomas Burke pointed out that with new kegs costing up to €100 each, stolen kegs are being advertised for sale, often in batches of more than 100 at a time.

Stolen kegs are being advertised for sale, often in batches of more than 100 at a time.

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