Five men suspected of burglary were in custody last night after gardai carried out a four-hour search in north Tipperary and Co Offaly involving Garda air support and dog units.
The operation began after gardai went to a house in Rathmoyle, Moneygall, Co Offaly at 11 a.m. following reports of a suspicious vehicle in the area.
Officers confronted two men at the scene. They made off in a green car containing three other men, after an unsuccessful attempt to ram the Garda patrol van. Gardai found that the unoccupied house had been ransacked and a quantity of jewellery stolen.
The car crashed a short distance from the scene, and the men attempted to escape through fields. A seven-mile cordon was placed around the area.
The Garda air support and dog units, reinforced by about 30 more officers, became involved in the search. The terrain included large areas of woodland.
At about 3.30 p.m. the five men, all in their 20s, were arrested in Loughaun, Dunkerrin, Co Offaly, three miles from the scene of the burglary.
Two of them were last night being held in Roscrea Garda station, and three in Templemore under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1997. All were questioned on suspicion of larceny and burglary.
The men are understood to have no permanent abodes but to be staying in the Dublin area.
Insp Tony Cogan, who headed the search, appealed to members of the public who may have seen the green Toyota Corolla, registration 87 C 8072, to contact the Garda at Roscrea on 0505-21700.