GARDAÍ HAVE arrested three men following an armed robbery at Arklow post office, Co Wicklow, in which a substantial sum of money was taken.
The arrests were made at a Garda check point on the Arklow bypass in the wake of the robbery, which occurred shortly after the post office opened for business yesterday morning.
The men, who had their faces covered with hoods or balaclavas, entered the premises at about 9.30am.
One member of the gang is thought to have been brandishing what appeared to be a handgun and another man had a pick-axe.
Up to 10 customers were in the post office at the time and an eye-witness said they were traumatised and badly shaken by the experience. "One woman was pregnant and had to receive medical attention afterwards," he said.
The gang used the pick-axe to smash the security screen above the counter and the cash dispensing area where staff work.
Two of the men then jumped the counter and grabbed as much money as they could. It would have been a busy day at Arklow post office yesterday with people receiving social welfare payments, pensions and single parent payments.
Asked if the amount of money taken was €100,000, a source said he believed it was somewhat less than that amount.
A local man said the robbery was all over in a matter of minutes. There was a quick response by gardaí, some of them from the armed response unit.
The gang made off in a blue van which was parked outside the post office. They drove down Main Street, headed north over the bridge and turned down North Quay where they switched to a white van before heading on to the Arklow bypass.
A number of Garda checkpoints were set up in the surrounding areas. A white van was sub- sequently stopped at one of these checkpoints and gardaí arrested three men. They were detained at Arklow and Wicklow Garda stations under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act.
Some property has been recovered.