Gardaí in Cork are attempting to track down a raider who held a security van employee at gunpoint at a shopping centre in the city yesterday morning before making away with an estimated €40,000 in cash.
The robbery took place at Douglas Court shopping centre on the south side of the city at 10.40am when Securicor staff were making a cash delivery.
A Securicor employee was taking an ATM cash box into a branch of AIB when the raider approached and threatened him at gunpoint.
The raider then took the cash and calmly walked away in the direction of Rochestown Avenue. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident.
Gardaí were yesterday studying CCTV footage which showed the man sitting on a bench outside a local fashion outlet before the raid.
The raider is described as being about 5ft 10in tall. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a black three-quarter length leather coat, blue jeans, black shoes and a baseball cap. He was carrying a blue rucksack.
Supt Mick Finn, who is leading the investigation, said the Garda had already received one significant lead in the case.
"A number of phone calls have come in relation to a man who was seen on a pedal cycle with a rucksack on his back and some pink smoke coming out of it which was on the South Link road adjacent to the Dunnes Stores shopping centre around the time of the robbery at around 11am.
"We are appealing to any motorists who were on the South Link Road heading from the tunnel direction to Kinsale Road roundabout who may have seen this gentleman on a bike to contact us."
Investigating gardaí are appealing to witnesses to the robbery to call them on 021-4891115.