AN evil teenage gang terrorising west Dublin are luring UPS drivers to addresses using fake names and stolen credit cards – and viciously assaulting them when they arrive.

Gardai believe the thugs, linked to more than 70 robberies and assaults in the last couple of months, are potentially on the verge of becoming “a proper crime gang”.

2 Couriers are being lured to the area and robbed

Two UPS delivery men have been attacked in the last month, with the ruthless youths robbing them when they arrive to an address after making an order under a false identity and nicked cards.

The gang, with African origins and nicknamed locally as “The Pesties” after the one-time fearsome Westies crew, are also carrying out similar attacks on taxi drivers using the MyTaxi app.

A source told the Irish Sun: “This gang is terrorising Blanchardstown from all angles.

"At first it was reports of them robbing other teens and shops, then taxi drivers, now it’s delivery men.

“What they’re doing is setting up fake UPS accounts under false IDs, getting things like phones and tablets delivered to one of their hideouts, and ganging up and beating the driver when he arrives, taking what they can.

“Two drivers have been hit in the last four weeks in the Clonee and Ongar areas, and left with nasty injuries.

"Who knows what other delivery companies are being hit, because these guys don’t follow any rules.

2 Gardai are working to stop the gang

“They’re also setting up MyTaxi accounts under false names and booking drivers for jobs that they say will pay in cash, then beat and rob them upon arrival.

"Taxi drivers have already begun staying away from certain areas as a result, and I suspect other companies will follow suit if this isn’t stopped.”

A local source added: "Blanchardstown is a good area - there are particularly good schools and sports clubs.

"It's not a deprived area, nobody can use the excuse that residents have been abandoned. There are other factors at play here - bad parenting for one."

On Tuesday, the Irish Sun revealed that a west Dublin vigilante group calling themselves Hell’s Angels had taken matters into their own hands by targeting the leaders of the gang in a number of hits.

The following day, two leaders of the gang, aged 14 and 16, appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court and were remanded on bail with strict conditions.

They were charged with three counts of robberies of taxi drivers in the Tyrrelstown area on December 10, 12, and 17 last year.

It was alleged that phones worth €400 and €600 were stolen from taxi men along with €350 in cash in three separate incidents.

And gardai in Blanchardstown, who have set up a special unit to control the lags, fear they could be looking at the emergence of a “proper crime gang”.

A source revealed: “There’s a full time operation in Blanch now and it’s starting to be treated more seriously in other areas too.

"Gardai are genuinely worried they are looking at the emergence of a very serious criminal gang. They are keen to stamp this out quickly because otherwise it will spiral.

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“Five or six gardai and a Sergeant are solely focused on taking this gang down now. It was them who charged the two young men on Wednesday and insisted strict bail conditions were put in place.

“The teens have been ordered to attend school, stay away from six other African teens, stick to a strict curfew and stay away from Dublin’s city centre.

“The last one is particularly important because gardai are looking at a pattern where members of the gang continuously meet up in town then get taxis from there home, which they do not pay for.”

A UPS spokesman confirmed one of its drivers had been involved in two incidents while delivering goods.

He said: “UPS can confirm that one of its drivers has been involved in two incidents in the same area while delivering goods.

"The safety of our staff is of the utmost importance and we have taken steps in response.

"UPS is cooperating fully with the police and relevant authorities and is unable to provide any further details at this stage as the investigation is ongoing.”