Post offices were targetted in separate raids in Waterford, Kilkenny and north Dublin today, one of which involved the kidnapping of a man and a woman.
The three incidents took place within 12 hours of each other and come on the back of a spate of thefts and attempted robberies on post offices linked to organised crime gangs involved in the drugs trade.
The worst of the incidents began last night in Swords, Co Dublin when three armed men forced their into the house of An Post employee from the Balbriggan branch.
The female postmaster and her husband were held hostage by the gang for several hours at their home in St Andrew's Park.
The husband was then taken to another location yesterday morning while the woman was ordered to go to work as usual and withdraw a substantial sum of money and await instructions.
The woman’s partner was left by the gang tied to a tree in a field off Kettles Lane in Swords where he managed to free himself shortly after 10am. At around the same time, gardaí became aware of the incident and responded to a call from the post office, forcing the gang to abort their plans.
Superintendent Kevin Gilligan said: "This was a very traumatic experience for the people taken hostage overnight and for post office staff in Balbriggan".
He appealed to anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity at the three crime scenes association with the incident to contact the gardaí.
Gardaí were today also investigating an armed raid on a post office in Kill, Co Waterford.
Two men, one armed with what appeared to be a shotgun, entered the post office shortly after 11.30am when staff and a number of customers were on the premise.
The men later escaped with an undisclosed sum of money in a black car in the direction of Carroll's Cross. There were no injuries or shots discharged.
Earlier in the day, a stolen JCB was used by raiders to smash a wall and steal a safe at a post office in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.
The vehicle was used to gain entry to the office shortly after 6am. However, the stolen safe was understood to be empty.
Gardaí said the JCB had been stolen in Carlow overnight and appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the vehicle being driven or transported to Castlecomer to contact them.
A spokesman for An Post yesterday declined to discuss the incidents, saying they were a matter for the gardaí.
General secretary of the Irish Post Masters' Union (IPU) Brian McGann expressed his sympathies to the Swords' family involved in the Dublin incident.
"Unfortunately postmasters and their staff face the threat of this type of attack everyday in their working lives.”
Mr McGann said the vast majority of raids on post offices were unsuccessful as postmasters and their staff did not have access to cash and all safes were time-locked.
He said the IPU and An Post had worked together to develop and improve security at post offices which he described as "robust". Nevertheless, he urged An Post staff to remain vigilant and to follow security protocols.
