Issues of the Week: The ‘tiger’ robbery returns to Dublin

“Tiger” robberies are branded as such because of similarities between how tigers in the wild and the robbery gangs stalk their prey – with patience and stealth. The phrase was back in common parlance this week after a gang broke into the Dublin home of a cash-in-transit company employee and held his family hostage until he went to work and handed over €200,000 from a security van to the gang.

The crime attracted widespread media coverage and has inevitably given rise to public concern it might mark the return of such attacks, which have become comparatively rare. However, the lax security practices that gave rise to the last spate of such crimes, between five and 10 years ago, have in large part been addressed and a spate of copycat crimes seems unlikely.

Robberies involving hostage-taking were a feature of Provisional IRA “fundraiser” operations at the height of the Troubles on both sides of the Border.

Criminal gangs, especially in Dublin, also took hostages or tried to steal huge sums of money by threatening violence against victims selected because they had access to money in their workplaces.

About a decade ago, a major tiger kidnapping was staged in which several million euro was taken from a Securicor employee. The man was taken hostage in his home in north Dublin. His wife and children, who were taken, were released only when the employee had surrendered €3 million to the gang. That was the first crime of its kind for many years and the highest-value cash robbery in the State for a long time.

Similar raids

About 20 similar raids took place over the next five years, in which tens of millions of euro was taken. While some of the gangs were caught, most escaped conviction and very little of the stolen money has ever been recovered.

The financial institutions, post officers and cash-in-transit companies were put under immense pressure by the Garda and successive governments, particularly when Michael McDowell was minister for justice, to enhance security.

In the meantime, more time locks have been installed and money in the back of cash-in-transit vans can only be accessed if the GPS trackers and cameras on the vehicles confirm it is at the proper location, at the scheduled time. In many cases, the van workers must relay a verbal message back to base to confirm all is in order before the cash boxes are unlocked and can be taken in or out of the vehicle.

A protocol agreed with the Garda has been put in place under which ransom money should not be taken from a financial institution or surrendered to a gang without the Garda having been made aware of the crime and given time to put a rapid reaction operation in place.

These measures have reduced the rewards on offer to criminals, even when robberies are successful. And they have increased the risk of gangs being caught. Very high prison sentences of more than 10 and even 20 years have been imposed on some gang members, which has made tiger robberies one of the highest- risk crimes for the criminal fraternity.