Ten arrests in crackdown on tiger kidnap gang

GARDAÍ are confident they have broken a major criminal gang which specialised in so-called tiger kidnappings with the arrest of 10 people in dawn raids in Dublin yesterday.

The arrests were made in Dublin’s north inner city from 6.30am. Six men and four women, all in there 20s or 30s, were arrested. One of those in custody is believed to be a major criminal figure who has been implicated in a number of other tiger kidnappings.

Six of those arrested are being detained under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, which allows for a detention period of up to seven days, while four are being held under the provisions of section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939, that allows for three days questioning.

Although largely consisting of younger men, the gang is believed to have close connections with veteran criminals who were originally based in Dublin’s north inner city. These older men, although retired from the frontline of criminal activity, are believed to have “tutored” the gang in counter-surveillance and operational techniques.

Yesterday’s raid directly related to the false imprisonment of former Kilkenny hurler and bank official Adrian Ronan and his family on November 3 last year.

Detectives investigating this botched raid travelled to Dublin to aid in the arrests and the 10 people are now being held in various Garda stations throughout the Southeast, including Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Thomastown and Tramore.

The raid on the Ronan family began at their home at Michael’s Church, Ballycallan, Co Kilkenny, at 6.15am on November 3, 2009. Three masked men, at least one armed with a handgun, broke in to the house.

Mary Ronan was taken away at gunpoint with Mr Ronan left with instructions to go to work as normal to the Parliament Street branch of the Bank of Ireland in Kilkenny city.

He was told his wife would only be released unharmed if he took €3 million from the branch. The gang gave him a phone saying they would direct him where to drop the money.

The three Ronan children, all of whom are below the age of 10, were asleep when the raiders broke in. Mr Ronan took them in to work with him. When the gang members rang Mr Ronan just before noon, he told them he was only able to get €200,000 because of the time-lock systems on the safe. They demanded he get more money.

Just after 1pm the gang rang him back and told him to await further instruction, however, he never heard from the gang again.

The Bank of Ireland had contacted gardaí and the gang may have become aware of this and decided to abort the operation.

Ms Ronan was being held at an unattended weather station close to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny city. She was abandoned by the gang at the weather station and eventually made her way to safety.