Dublin gangs are suspected of van raid

Gardaí investigating the €2.4 million robbery from a Brinks Allied cash transit van on Wednesday have narrowed their focus to a few gangs based in north and west Dublin.

But senior Garda sources have insisted that a clear suspect has yet to emerge and it may be some time before the shortlist is whittled down. Gardaí are satisfied there was no paramilitary involvement in the heist even though the white Ford Transit van used by the raiders was found on Wednesday night near the Border at Dromad, Co Louth.

It is believed the raiders were young Dublin men with a history of armed robbery. While the raid was reasonably well planned, it was opportunistic and the raiders did not know the van contained so much money, detectives said.

The Brinks Allied van was hijacked during an unscheduled coffee stop at a petrol station at Skelly's Lane, Artane, at 7.30am on Wednesday. The crew was forced by a masked gunman to drive to Killester Utd Football Club off the Howth Road just over a mile away. The van's contents were unloaded into the raiders' Transit and driven away.

Gardaí believe the raiders learned crews operating cash-in-transit vans regularly stopped at the Artane petrol station for coffee before starting their rounds. The Brinks Allied crew gave gardaí descriptions of two of the raiders. One was aged 18-22, of thin build and wore a black bomber jacket at the time of the robbery. The other was in his late 20s and of stocky build. He wore a navy bomber jacket. Both had strong Dublin accents.

Yesterday the banking sector responded to comments by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell which suggested the sector contributed €3 million per year towards the cost of Garda and Army escorts for cash in transit. The Irish Bankers' Federation, which represents more than 60 institutions, said the sector contributed €5.9 million annually towards security escort costs.