Organised crime gangs would be seriously disrupted if the courts refused bail to major criminals at the request of a senior Garda officer, the former head of the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) Felix McKenna has said.
However, he also told the Irish Bank Officials Association biennial conference in Dublin that gardaí had been so successful tackling tiger robberies that the crime may disappear for years.
"We may not get another kidnapping of a bank official for 10 years," he told delegates.
He said he had been involved in the investigation into the kidnapping of former NIB banker Jim Lacey almost 15 years ago, when £243,000 was robbed from the bank. While there were a number of similar robberies about that time, tiger robberies then "went quiet" for over a decade. He believed the resurgence was largely due to the success of the Garda in recent years in seizing substantial shipments of drugs.
"An Garda Síochána has removed a massive amount of drugs out of the system in Limerick, Cork and particularly Dublin."
When drugs were seized gangs needed to replace the money lost so they often turned to robbing security vans delivering to ATMs or to so-called tiger kidnappings.
The banks had a role to play in providing intelligence on any suspicious movements around their premises or at the homes of staff. Bank officials should also report suspicious transactions.
Mr McKenna, who retired as chief superintendent in charge of the bureau last year, said it was important to note that people who had agreed to give evidence against criminals had never been targeted or "terrorised" following a case.
He believed new legislative provisions making a new offence of gang membership would assist the Garda in its fight against organised crime. "It should certainly help the gardaí to prosecute them," he said of gang leaders.
However, he believed a much more rigorous regime should apply to the bail laws for those engaged in organised crime. "They should be locked up and not given bail. A lot of criminals are getting out on bail and are continuing their activities."
IBOA general secretary Larry Broderick expressed concern for the security at home of his association's members, who were viewed as a "soft target" by criminal gangs.
He said that if the banks did not provide proper home security for staff by September 1st, the IBOA would advise its members not to act as key-holders. "Every time another incident happens our offices are just inundated with calls from worried staff and their families who are literally in fear for their loved ones' lives."
Det Insp Liam Ennis of the PSNI said gang members were very determined and vigilance was required by bank workers in varying their movements.
"Staging robberies is what these people do for a living," he said. "They get up out of bed in the morning and they spend the day following you looking for a weakness."
