Gardai question two men about armed robbery

Gardaí were last night questioning two men about an armed robbery at Ballymount, west Dublin in which two security staff were tied up and threatened.

Three men, armed with a knife and a stun-gun, entered a premises containing electrical goods at Ballymount Industrial Estate at about 5.30 p.m. and confronted two security guards.

Gardaí said they believed one or both of the security men were tied up while electrical products were loaded into a truck. One of the raiders was believed to have escaped in a Volkswagen Golf.

Gardaí said they stopped a truck on the Naas Road yesterday evening and two men were arrested.

One was being questioned last night at Sundrive Road Garda station, the other at Crumlin. Both were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Co Longford are investigating an armed robbery, which took place at 2.35 p.m. yesterday at the Bank of Ireland branch on Main Street, Ballymahon.

Two men carrying handguns entered the premises and threatened staff. They made off with what gardaí described as a relatively small quantity of cash.

The raiders drove away from the scene in a silver Honda Accord which was later found burned out at Boher, Streamstown.

Gardaí ask anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw any unusual or suspicious activity in the area before or after the raid, to contact Ballymahon Garda station at 090-6432303, or Athlone Garda station at 090-6492600.

Also yesterday, an armed raider held up an AIB bank branch in Naas, Co Kildare. The man entered the premises at 12.15 p.m. and queued up with customers at the cashier's desk. When he reached the front of the queue he produced a revolver and ordered a female bank clerk to hand over money.

It is understood the raider got around €4,000 before escaping.

The man is described as aged between 20 and 24 years, 5ft 7in, of medium build and with dark brown hair.

He was said to be wearing a blue tracksuit top, black leggings and dark sunglasses.