Gardaí have arrested seven men and seized a gun and a number of vehicles from a suspected organised crime gang as they were about to carry out a robbery.
The incident occurred in Artane, north Dublin, just after lunchtime.
Gardaí believe the men were targeting a crash in transit van collecting cash from banks in the area.
The suspects were arrested in the residential area of Rosemount Avenue and were travelling in two vehicles at the time.
Members of the newly formed Drugs and Organised Crime Unit moved in, backed by the Emergency Response Unit, at about 2.30pm and arrested three of the men who were in a van at the time.
A further three suspects were arrested in a car close by while a seventh suspect was detained later.
The men had been under surveillance as part of an intelligence-led operation into the foiled robbery.
With the suspects arrested and taken away for questioning, gardaí searched their vehicles and found the firearm in the van.
Balaclavas and other items including a number of offensive weapons were also discovered in the vehicles.
The suspects range in age from their early 20s to their 50s. They were all detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
They are being questioned in Coolock, Ballymun, Clontarf and Raheny Garda stations and can be held for up to three days without charge.
Among the seven arrested are three members of an extended family from north Dublin who are well known to gardaí.
One of the suspects is regarded as a prolific armed robber who has been involved in some of the biggest raids in the history of the State.
At least one of those cash robberies resulted in several million euro being stolen, which was never recovered.
That man has worked closely with another well known armed robber from a middle class suburb in north Dublin. Both men have spent lengthy periods in prison in the past.
