By Dionne Meehan
Gardaí are investigating the late-night theft of a Mercedes car in Letterkenny when the ‘buyer’ who was viewing his new purchase, jumped into the driver’s seat, locked the doors and sped off.
The incident happened when the seller of the vehicle arranged to meet a man who said he was interested in buying the car after it was listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
They arranged to meet in Letterkenny last Wednesday night – but the potential sale took an unfortunate twist.
Urging the public to be cautious of online scams, the vehicle owner took to social media.
“My Mercedes E 200 Avantgrade, bearing the registration ID 161D16609, had been listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
“Responding to my advertisement, an individual identifying himself as “Zaki Ace” expressed keen interest in purchasing the vehicle.
“Little did I anticipate the sinister turn of events that would follow,” he said.
Communicating via Facebook messenger, the potential buyer arranged a viewing.
“Promising to arrive within an hour, Zaki Ace eventually appeared at 10:42pm, citing heavy traffic as the cause of delay.
“Dressed in a black jacket, light blue jeans and white shoes, Zaki Ace presented himself as a potential buyer, originally from Albania and lives in Derry.
“Upon arrival, Zaki Ace meticulously inspected the vehicle, than took a brief test drive accompanied by a few of my housemates and me.
“Engaging in discussions regarding the car’s condition and service history, everything appeared to proceed smoothly as we returned to my home,” the owner said.
However, the situation took a turn when the accused abruptly seized the opportunity to take the car.
“Under the guise of inspecting the car’s tyres and brake pads, he cunningly maneuvered himself into the driver’s seat, swiftly locking the doors before any of us could react,” he said.
The accused drove off leaving the owner powerless to intervene.
The accused was last seen driving towards Illistrin.
Meanwhile Gardaí have told the Donegal News that investigations are ongoing into the incident.
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