Four armed and masked men attempted to take a security company employee, his pregnant wife and their two-year-old son hostage this morning at their home in Co Kildare.
The incident took place on the Cluain Ard Estate in Kilmeade, near Athy, at 5am. The gang attempted to take the family hostage as the man, who is in his 30s, left for work at G4S Cash Solutions.
It is understood the man’s wife activated a panic alarm given to employees as part of improved security arrangements.
The gang fled the scene, leaving a white van behind. Gardaí believe the gang members were picked up by a car nearby.
G4S Cash Solutions said in a statement it was “thankful” the staff member was unhurt and said all its security systems and procedures “worked effectively”.
The company specialises in the transportation and storage of money and valuables, cash processing for business and a range of support services for ATM networks, parking meters and Luas ticket machines.
Gardaí would like anyone who was in the Kilmeade area of Co Kildare, or anyone who was travelling on the N78 between Kilcullen and Athy early this morning, to contact them at Kildare Garda station on 045 527730.
They are also appealing for anyone who may have seen any activity in the Kilmeade area in the past number of days to come forward.
It is the fourth attempted tiger kidnapping this year.
An armed gang held a mother and two daughters hostage on Good Friday when they tried to raid a post office in Prosperous, Co Kildare.
A garda was beaten with shovels and bars after he confronted four masked men at a post office in Cloonfad on the Mayo/Roscommon border earlier this month.
Two days before that, An Post executive Liam O’Sullivan, his wife Mary and two children were held up by at least four armed raiders in their Co Kildare home.
Additional reporting PA