Gardaí pin hopes on forensic clues to ‘tiger raid’

GARDAÍ yesterday conducted detailed forensic examinations on at least four crime scenes in the hope of gleaming vital clues in relation to Monday’s tiger kidnapping.

Senior officers said it was possible that the failure of the gang to burn out a car used by them might turn out to be a mistake by the criminals.

But garda sources warned that gangs such as these were “very forensically aware” and would have known about any risks involved in leaving clues behind.

Tests continued on the green Toyota Corolla car which was abandoned by gang members in Carlow after they were handed over about €1.3 million taken from a security van.

The gang had driven Securicor employee Bernard Hogan in his Corolla from his home in Lucan, west Dublin, to Carlow early on Monday, where he was ordered to persuade the staff of a Securicor security van to hand over cash.

Mr Hogan, aged 67, successfully persuaded the staff to hand over cash, which turned out to be about half of the €2.5m the van was carrying, and took it to the gang members outside the Lapple factory.

After the handover, Mr Hogan’s wife Ailish, who had been held hostage in a derelict house in Rathcoole, west Dublin, was released.

The couple’s horrific ordeal began shortly after 6.30pm on Sunday when armed gang members entered their house in Hillcrest Close in Lucan.

“Criminals normally might burn out a car they use in a crime like this, so it might contain forensic clues,” said a garda source.

But he stressed that the gang, which had carried out a meticulous crime, would be aware of the risk of leaving behind forensic clues, such as DNA samples, fibres and fingerprints.

“These guys are very forensically aware, they wear gloves and balaclavas and would know about clothes fibres being left behind. Also, forensic evidence from the husband and wife would be in the car complicating things.”

He said: “The car will certainly be given a thorough examination and any possible evidence sent to the forensic laboratory for tests.”

He said the home in Hillcrest, the derelict house in Rathcoole and the various crime scenes in Carlow were also being forensically examined.

He said they were checking CCTV footage between Lucan and Carlow to track the movements of the Corolla and in an attempt to identify what other vehicles were used by the gang.