More than €500,000 is believed to have been taken in the latest robbery from an ATM cash machine yesterday.
A criminal gang based in north Dublin is suspected of being behind an armed raid on security staff about to load an ATM machine in Bettystown, Co Meath, yesterday.
During the incident one of the security staff was held at gunpoint and two of the three gang members fired a number of shots from two sawn-off shotguns before they escaped with over €500,000.
The well-planned and executed hold-up took place at Pat's supermarket at about 12.30 p.m. and in front of a number of customers. The gang later drove at speed along a number of minor roads before abandoning their getaway car and setting fire to it close to the old Dublin-Belfast road.
The blue Honda Accord was stolen in a burglary in Dublin last Friday night. It appears the gang were waiting in the car for the van to arrive.
When one of the staff got out of the van to alert staff to its arrival, a masked raider immediately grabbed him from behind and one of the two shotguns was put to his head. He was forced back out of the supermarket and held at gunpoint while the gang shouted that the van door be opened so they could get the money.
A second member of the security staff was also threatened, and when the two men refused to comply a number of shots were fired. The lock on the van door was then released and the gang were able to take a number of containers of cash.
An extensive search, including the use of the Garda helicopter, was continuing last night.
Garda sources confirmed they were investigating whether the gang involved in yesterday's raid were also behind the raid of an ATM machine at a supermarket in Drogheda last month, in which around €80,000 was stolen.