Gardaí in the Midlands are hunting for a gang of men who burgled a filling station in Co Offaly overnight.
The Garda helicopter is involved in the ongoing search for two or three men who forced their way through the rear entrance of a Topaz station at the Fingerboard, Tullamore at 12.30am.
The men carrying out the burglary were disturbed by the arrival of gardaí and all three fled the scene. It is believed that a quantity of cigarettes were stolen in the burglary.
One man ran into a nearby field pursued by officers. The Garda Air Support Unit as well as additional Garda units were dispatched to assist. A short time late a car was stopped and a man was arrested.
The man, a 27-year-old foreign national, is detained at Tullamore Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
The other suspects are believed to still be in the Tullamore area. Gardaí said the helicopter and specialist units are assisting in searches of Ballard, Charleville Road and the N52 bypass.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 9327600.