GARDAÍ IN Galway are searching for an armed gang who raided a pub in the early hours of Monday morning after following a bar manager home from work.
The manager was tied up along with five housemates before the gang took the keys of the city centre pub.
The gang then broke into the Pucán Pub on Forster Street and escaped with a sum understood to be in the region of €30,000. Gardaí were yesterday viewing CCTV footage.
The barman had returned to his house at 3am in the Sandy Road area on the east of the city after locking up the bar.
He was bundled inside by three masked men after he answered a knock on the door.
Five other adult occupants of the house were tied up along with the bar manager by the raiders, one of whom was armed with a shotgun and another with a machete. They left with the keys to the pub, which is situated about five kilometres away.
The alarm was raised when one of the occupants of the house managed to get free at about 5.30am. None of the occupants were injured, but gardaí said they were "deeply shocked" by the events.
Two of the raiders, one of whom was armed with the machete, are described as being over 6ft and wearing dark clothes. The third, who was armed with the single-barrel shotgun, was about 5ft 8in and of stocky build.
Supt Tom Curley said it was clear the raid was well planned and movements at the pub may have been watched for some time.
"This was a terrifying experience for all six people, to be tied up in their own house by armed raiders. Thankfully none of them were injured. We are appealing for help in finding this gang. This sort of crime is unusual in Galway and we are anxious that these people are caught," he said.
Gardaí at Mill Street (091-53800) have appealed for witnesses. They have carried out technical examinations at the pub and at the house where the bar manager resides.