Gardaí smash gang involved in number of armed robberies

GARDAÍ believe they have smashed a gang involved in a number of armed robberies in recent weeks.

Detectives pounced on three core members of the gang just as they were about to rob a security van in north Dublin.

The three men, one armed with a sawn-off shotgun and another with a machete, were nabbed by officers based at Blanchardstown Garda Station, who had been carrying out a surveillance operation.

The operation was set up following a number of armed robberies in the previous six weeks on security vans in the Dublin west district which covers Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Finglas, Lucan and Blanchardstown.

"We put in place an operation monitoring a number of locations and a number of people suspected of involvement," said a garda spokesman.

Detectives were in the vicinity of the petrol station when the three criminals drove in a stolen Mazda.

The car was disguised as a taxi, with a stolen taxi sign, with two passengers along with the driver.

"They rob security vans as they make their collections, in this case from a petrol station," said the spokesman.

"When the security man came out of the petrol station they prepared to rob them."

Gardaí seized a shotgun, machete and radio scanning equipment. The raiders all in their mid-20s were brought to district headquarters at Blanchardstown station and detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

Two of the men are from Finglas, north Dublin, and one is from Ballyfermot, south Dublin.

They are associates of well-known criminal families previously targeted by gardaí at Blanchardstown for armed robberies.

"These are a new breed. They are well organised. They scout premises beforehand, carry out surveillance and pick the appropriate time to move," said the spokesman. "In this case they had a stolen car made out to look like a taxi, with a stolen sign."

The spokesman said more arrests were expected. He said they would continue to monitor cash collections and other suspects.

"We believe we have broken up this gang," the spokesman added.

The three are expected to be charged today.

The latest garda operation in west and north Dublin follows a similar crackdown in the same area in November 2001.

Operation Discovery was tasked with stopping a spree of robberies on security vans, carried out by gangs in Finglas and Blanchardstown.

The operation came to an end by the summer of last year after a successful crackdown.