Tiger-kidnappers escape with €130k

A husband and wife escaped unharmed after being taken hostage by a gang in a tiger-kidnapping raid.

The woman, a Bank of Ireland worker, was abducted after dropping her young child to a creche and ordered to hand over €130,000.

The couple in their 30s were taken from their home in Lusk, north Co Dublin and the woman ordered to drive into the city to the Coolock branch to carry out the heist.

The man was bundled into the back of a van and held hostage in Tallaght.

It is believed about six men were involved in the raid and some were armed.

The alarm was raised after the woman took the cash from the branch, drove to the Greenwood Avenue area of Clontarf and abandoned bags of money in a gold coloured car.

It was several hours before the man managed to free himself and raise the alarm in the south-west of the city.

Superintendent Mark Curran said: “Although this is a very traumatic crime nobody was injured and all the people are in safe hands as we speak.”

In a statement Bank of Ireland said the employee’s safety and well-being was the priority.

It said its internal security processes were activated and that all supports would be offered to the couple.

Bank of Ireland has launched its own investigation.

Tiger kidnappings earned the name because of the stalking and predatory nature of the criminals involved.