The garda raid was planned under Operation Aughrim, which was established to combat a big rise mainly in phone thefts around the capital. It was set up after a total of 7,887 mobiles, mainly iPhone 4 models, were taken between January 1 and December 10 last year.
Eastern European gangs are launching short-term crime sprees in Dublin and other EU capital cities before returning home with suitcases full of stolen booty.
The gangs are involved mainly in street thefts and shoplifting during the day and then focusing on customers in nightclubs and pubs at night.
Gardai have smashed one gang from Romania after raiding a flat on the North Circular Road in Dublin.
Officers recovered goods worth at least €7,000, including mobile phones, clothing, jewellery, alcohol and cosmetics that had been stolen in a spate of crime in Dublin and surrounding counties.
The search was carried out by gardai from Pearse Street station on Sunday morning and the haul included a mobile phone that had been stolen from a nightclub in Naas, Co Kildare, hours earlier.
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