Gardaí in Co Limerick are investigating after a man was abducted and a sum of money stolen in a tiger-kidnapping raid from a post office branch in Newcastlewest this morning.
Shortly after 8.30am the victim was confronted by an armed and masked man at the rear of the post office and forced to leave the scene.
Some time later a female member of staff was contacted and directed to take an undisclosed sum of money to a wooded area between Carraig Kerry and Athea - which she did between 11am and 12pm.
At 4pm the abducted man was discovered in the boot of his black 09-LK-registered BMW in the Templegreen housing estate in Newcastlewest.
Gardaí were then alerted to the incident and set up a crime scene around the car and post office.
Both the male and female post office workers were uninjured in the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardaí at Newcastlewest 069-20650, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda station.
They are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the above locations overnight or this morning and saw anything suspicious or the black BMW between 8am and 4pm.