GARDAÍ HAVE arrested four men as part of a cross-Border operation into an armed bank robbery in Northern Ireland on Friday during which the raiders rammed a PSNI car before escaping across the Border into the Republic.
The raid took place in the village of Kesh near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, at a branch of the Northern Bank shortly before 2pm. The masked men entered the bank armed with knives and a hammer and demanded money from staff.
A sum was handed over the counter and the men then escaped in a purple Mazda car. They rammed a PSNI car at a lay-by just outside Kesh. It is believed they then switched to another car before driving off towards Enniskillen.
The men then made their way across the Border and into Co Donegal. They were arrested by gardaí on Saturday morning at a hotel in Donegal town.
Two of the gang, aged 22 and 23 years, are being detained for questioning at Letterkenny Garda station. The other two men, aged 25 and 34 years, are being held at Ballyshannon Garda station.
They are being questioned on suspicion of robbing the car in which they travelled to Donegal.
Gardaí are working with their colleagues in the PSNI in an effort to establish the men’s movements since Friday’s robbery.
Fermanagh Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott said he believed dissident Republicans were behind the raid.
He said dissidents had also been linked to other similar robberies in recent weeks.
“This robbery is a complete and utter disgrace and will be condemned by all right-thinking individuals,” he said.
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