A woman was held hostage during the robbery of a post office in Co Louth this morning.
A number of men confronted the owner of the Village Stores as he was out walking near his home in Dunleer at about 6.00am. They then broke into his home and threatened him and his wife.
The woman was held hostage while the man was forced to go to the post office, which adjoins the Village Stores. The store owner took a substantial sum of money - understood to be over €100,000 - from the premises when the postmistress arrived to open up.
He then left the money at a pre-agreed location in Castlebellingham and his wife was later freed. She is said to be traumatised but physically unharmed.
Gardaí, who believe at least one of the gang was armed, have made an appeal for information.
In a statement tonight, gardaí said a black sack containing money was picked up shortly before 9am today from outside a hairdressers close to the Village Stores.
Descriptions of two men are provided: one is 182cm in height, with grey hair and grey moustache, and aged in his mid-40s to mid-50s. He was wearing a brown jacket. The other man is aged in his early 30s, of thin build, with black hair. They were seen in a new-model black car.
Gardaí also want to talk to a another man, aged mid-40s to 50s, with spiked, dark hair and wearing a suit. He was seen driving a a silver-coloured Toyota Avensis, with 05 D in the registration.
Around the time of the incident two buses were going through the village of Castlebellingham - one heading for Dundalk the other for Drogheda. Gardaí are appealing for those on either bus or anyone else who may have seen anything suspicious to contact gardaí in Ardee on 041-6853222, the Garda confidential line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda station.