2009 Bank of Ireland robbery

Robbery

Late on the night of 26 February, Travers, whose father is a member of the Garda Síochána based at Clontarf, Dublin, was alone watching television at the home of his girlfriend near Kilteel, County Kildare. The woman and her mother were out shopping together. When they arrived home with the five-year-old nephew of Travers, six heavily built masked men, dressed in black and carrying handguns, jumped from the bushes.

The family was held overnight by the armed gang, during which time their mobile phones were confiscated and Travers' girlfriend was hit across the back of her head with a vase by one of the men. As dawn was arriving, the gang ordered all but Travers to enter their dark Volkswagen Golf family car. They were then bound together and driven to Ashbourne, County Meath.

The bank employee was given a mobile phone, ordered to collect €20, €50, €100 and €200 bank notes from his workplace, and supplied with a photograph of the rest of the family at gunpoint to convince his colleagues that their lives were under threat. Travers drove to Dublin in his red Toyota Celica car, acquired the cash through the assistance of colleagues who viewed the photo, and carried the money out of the building in four laundry bags. He took it to Clontarf Road railway station, whereupon he surrendered the cash and his sports car to a waiting gang member.

Travers then entered a garda station, the first point at which gardaí were notified that the robbery had taken place. One hour after this, the other family members succeeded in freeing themselves and walked to a nearby garda station. Travers' girlfriend required immediate medical treatment for a head wound she had received during a struggle with her captors, and the family were reported to be "traumatised" by their ordeal. Travers's car was later found burned out in an apartment block near Tolka House Pub in Glasnevin.

Reaction

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Dermot Ahern said "proper procedures" were not followed during the course of the robbery, saying that gardaí should have been contacted before the money had left the bank. He also questioned how such a large sum of money could be taken as a result of one man being targeted. He has remarked, "Criminals are going for the line of least resistance, the human connection as it were. Given the fact there is so much detailed technology available to financial institutions, the line of least resistance is the human being."

The bank's chief executive, Richie Boucher, appointed just two days earlier, immediately wrote to all his staff to remind them that protocol should be followed in the event of future robberies, saying "Our priority is always for the safety and well-being of all staff. I am sure this incident will raise concerns. Our best defence is to follow tried and tested procedures. I would ask everybody to remind themselves of these procedures, which are there to protect you, your families and the bank."

The attack caused Charlie Flanagan, a Teachta Dála, to remark that "tiger kidnappings are taking place in Ireland ... at a rate of almost one per week."

Arrests

€1.8 million of the stolen cash was recovered and seven people were arrested by gardaí in a number of incidents on 28 February. A house in Phibsboro was sealed off and ten more houses were searched. A total of five cars and one van were seized by gardaí. One of the men was arrested following a chase along the M50 near the Navan road, with two bales of packed cash being discovered in his car. Four other men were arrested in a car in Monk Place and in Great Western Square, Phibsboro, and two more were seized in a house on Great Western Villas, Phibsboro. Cash was also found in a car in Phibsboro.

The six men and one woman are believed to be members of a well-known gang from Dublin's north inner city and have connections to a major Dublin gangland figure. On 2 March, those arrested appeared before the High Court to challenge the lawfulness of their detention, viewing the warrants issued by the District Court the day before as invalid. That day, two of those arrested were released.

An unidentified bank employee was arrested on 28 January 2010 based on suspicion that the robbery had been an inside job. A man was given a five-year sentence for handling the robbery's stolen cash.

References

References

1. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/01/europe/irish.php 7 arrested after Irish bank heist]. ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''. Published 1 March 2009.
2. (28 February 2009). "Concerns over bank security after €7m tiger raid". [[Irish Examiner]].
3. (28 February 2009). "Seven arrested over Bank of Ireland robbery". [[TV3 Ireland.
4. (28 February 2009). "Police recover Irish bank money". [[BBC]].
5. [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0228/1224241989646.html Ahern 'very concerned' at how raid was carried out]. ''The Irish Times''. Published 28 February 2009.
6. (25 February 2009). "Boucher appointed new Bank of Ireland CEO". [[The Irish Times]].
7. (27 February 2009). "Family held hostage as €7m stolen from BoI". [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]].
8. [http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/7-arrests-after-irelands-biggest-bank-heist/ 7 Arrests After Ireland's Biggest Bank Heist]. By Robert Mackey. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Published 28 February 2009.
9. (28 February 2009). "€4m recovered from Bank of Ireland raid". [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]].
10. (28 February 2009). "Security breach probed as half of haul recovered". [[Irish Independent]].
11. (28 February 2009). "Seven still held over €7.6 million bank theft". [[The Irish Times]].
12. [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/three-held-over-euro76m-raid-challenge-illegal-detentions-14210187.html Three held over €7.6m raid challenge 'illegal' detentions]. ''[[The Belfast Telegraph]]''. Published 2 March 2009.
13. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0302/kilteel.html BoI raid suspects: Two released]. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Published 2 March 2009.
14. (29 January 2010). "Bank worker held over €7m raid, ''The Irish Independent''".
15. "Five-year sentence for part in €7.66m bank robbery".