Gardaí in Co Kildare have recovered most of two lorry-loads of vodka stolen from a depot in Naas two weeks ago. Four men have been arrested in connection with the robbery. The vodka has a retail value of over €1 million.
Detectives from Naas carried out a number of raids in the past week and recovered the two stolen lorries and most of the missing alcohol in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, about five miles from Naas and in a farm outside the village. Two men were arrested as a result of these searches. A third man was arrested after one of the 47 palates of stolen vodka was recovered in Dundrum, Dublin.
Gardaí are also examining eight cases of vodka which detectives removed from a hotel cellar. A member of staff at the hotel was arrested.
A number of charges have been brought and more are expected. The detective team from Naas is understood to be hopeful they will recover all of the vodka.
Gardaí believe the raid was carried out by professional robbers from west Dublin who had already negotiated a deal with a prominent criminal figure who had agreed to buy the spirits and sell them on.
The gang broke into the Heineken depot in Naas two weekends ago and left without tripping any alarms.
The same gang is believed to have been responsible for robbing many warehouses along Dublin's M50 motorway over the past decade. Some of the gang members now own their own businesses, including at least one shop.
Meanwhile, three armed robbers are believed to have escaped with about €30,000 in takings after abducting a member of staff from the Autobahn public house in north Dublin at the weekend.
The man confronted the bar manager as he arrived home in Swords at about 3.30 a.m. on Saturday. They forced him into his car and drove to the bar, where he was made to let the armed raiders into the premises and to hand over the night's takings from a safe.
He was then tied up and put into a storeroom. Gardaí said he was unhurt.