Even with army’s help, 354 cash-in-transit raids in decade

EVEN with the added security of army escorts, the robbery of cash-in-transit vans is common. There have been 354 such robberies in the past decade, according to CSO figures.

There were 39 such robberies last year, down from 49 in 2012 and equal to the 39 in 2011.

The 61 that took place in 2004 is the highest in a decade, while the lowest was 21 in 2010.

Such robberies have accounted for some of the largest heists the country has seen.

A €900,000 robbery in 2007 was connected to Dublin crimelord Eamon Dunne, who was shot dead while awaiting trial for the robbery.

Such robberies are often linked to the activities of criminal gangs and happen countrywide.

In May, an off-duty garda foiled a robbery in Co. Meath when, having witnessed a heist in progress, he followed the two male culprits and confronted them.

A gun was drawn on the officer but the stolen money was retrieved when the men dropped the cash box while attempting to escape on foot.

In January €45,000 was taken in two robberies, one on the South Circular Road in Dublin and the other on an EBS van in Leixlip, Co. Kildare. The introduction this year of an exploding glue alongside the security dye that is released when a cash box is forced open, rendered the money from both those incidents useless. Despite the success of the dye in some circumstances, 245 notes with dye stains have already been replaced by the Central Bank this year after they made their way into public circulation.