Gardaí continue hunt for tiger robbery gang

GARDAÍ are trying to track down the remaining members of a gang that carried out a terrifying tiger robbery on Tuesday.

Detectives are hopeful of bringing charges against a suspected member of that gang who was arrested after being seen dumping a bag of cash taken in the raid.

The 26-year-old man in said to be a “minor player” in a well known gang based in the Cabra West area of Dublin’s north inner city.

Sources said yesterday they were hopeful of bringing charges against the man, but will probably hold him for much of the seven-day detention period he can be held for.

The ordeal began shortly after 9.30am on Tuesday when gang members kidnapped the bank official’s boyfriend in Finglas, north Dublin. His 22-year-old girlfriend had started work at the Permanent TSB branch in Phibsboro when she received a terrifying photograph on her mobile phone.

It showed her partner being held hostage and a gun pointed to his head. She was ordered to bring cash to a drop-off point to secure her boyfriend’s safe release. The woman, originally from Cabra, alerted the other staff and they put in €370,000 cash in a bag.

Bank officials alerted gardaí, who put in place a response team.

The bank official dropped off the cash near Broombridge Railway Station in Cabra. A small time criminal, from Cabra, was sent by the gang bosses to collect the cash.

However, he was spotted by gardaí and was seen dumping the cash nearby.

“He’s a low level figure in the gang who was sent to collect the cash,” said a Garda source. He said he was “well caught” as he was seen dumping the cash, which should be enough for charges to be brought.

Gardaí said the woman’s boyfriend was later freed in Ashbourne, Co Meath.

He said the success was down to the fact that the bank and the gardaí “cooperated properly”.

In some cases recently gardaí have claimed that agreed protocols between banks and gardaí were not followed, placing those involved at risk.