Updated at 7.50am

THREE MEN ARE due in court later in connection with the theft of millions of euro worth of electrical power lines.

Gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, along with Garda Air Support and gardaí from Kildare raided a house in Rathdangan early yesterday morning, arresting five men.

They were detained at Naas and Leixlip Garda Stations.

Two have been released – while three have been charged and are expected to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice at 10.30am today.

Two cars were also seized.

Investigations have been carried out into the large scale organised theft of live electrical cable throughout the country over the past number of months.

Gardaí say that the modus operandi of the group involved was to climb electrical poles and cut large amounts of copper wire over a period of several hours.

This has resulted in power outages to large sections of the country, as well as presenting what gardaí say is “a serious danger to the public”.

To-date this year, 142 kilometres of power lines have been stolen at a replacement cost of €4.6 million.