The family of a security company employee was kidnapped this morning and a robbery involving a security van later took place.
At about 6.30am, several armed men forced their way into a house off Bath Avenue in Irishtown, and a man, his mother and niece were held hostage.
According to gardaí, the two women were later were taken from the house, and the man, a security firm employee, went under duress to the Bank of Ireland in O'Connell Street at about 11.30am where a security van was making a delivery.
The man obtained a quantity of cash from the delivery van and was told to go to a location in Drumcondra in a white Renault van. The employee left the cash in the vehicle at the appointed spot.
Gardaí were then alerted to the incident.
The mother and niece were released unharmed in Shankill, Co Dublin, at 12.30pm. The man then went into Bray Garda station at 2pm.
It has been reported some €100,000 was stolen, although the exact amount is not yet confirmed.
Gardaí are seeking to talk to anyone who was in the O'Connell Gardens area of Irishtown this morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Irishtown Garda station on 01 6669600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
Following a number of kidnappings of bank officials late last year, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern met bank chiefs and raised concerns about the quantities of money stored in vulnerable branches.
Banks were also ordered to look into tightening rules on staff access to large sums of cash to further combat similar raids.