Concern over criminals targeting junior bank staff

VULNERABLE young staff should not be employed in major bank cash stores following the recent €7.6 million Bank of Ireland robbery, banking representatives have told gardaí.

Concern has been raised about criminals targeting junior bank workers who may be living in insecure apartments and socialising in bars and nightclubs and are therefore seen as “accessible” by gangs.

A review of banking procedures driven by the justice minister has also seen demands for advanced high-tech alarms for cash stores.

Since the College Green heist just over a fortnight ago — the biggest in the state — a series of meetings have been held between gardaí and banking groups.

Assistant Commissioner Mick McCarthy, the force’s head of crime and security, was recently warned that young susceptible employees were being put in charge of major cash stores in banks. A senior banking source involved in briefing the top garda explained: “Cash stores are not viewed as great places for career prospects. Workers are usually young. We still need to look at their calibre.

“The young ones are living in flats or apartments and are generally a bit more vulnerable in terms of the social scene.

“Whereas someone maybe who is over 40 might be more streetwise and are less likely to socialise and be accessible to a gang.”

Gardaí have been tracking the Dublin gang suspected of carrying out the raid. It is thought some suspects under surveillance linked to the raid were just “runners”, under orders from gang leaders.

Details have emerged about sophisticated methods used by the robbers who forced junior vault employee Shane Travers, 24, to drive to the city centre branch and remove the cash.

His rearview mirror was removed to prevent him checking if the gang were tailing him. Cleaning liquids were used by the masked raiders when holding Mr Travers’ girlfriend and other hostages, in an attempt to remove traces of DNA left behind.

The gang also targeted the branch on a day when the normal army and garda escorts were not in operation, as it was a non-delivery day.

Banking officials have expressed concern to gardaí about employee security and an expected rise in tiger kidnapping raids following the robbery.

Financial worker representatives have also warned Mr McCarthy that bank employers are “using companies” on the cheap and outsourcing cash store security work to inexperienced staff.

Pressure is also being put on banks, through gardaí, to install high-tech security systems such as giant cash weighing scales for major money store areas that trigger alarms when large bundles of notes are removed.