Third kidnapping this year involving B of I staff

A BANK of Ireland official became the latest victim of a so-called “tiger kidnapping” when her husband and two children were seized and she was forced to hand over a large sum of money to a criminal gang.

The woman’s two children, aged three and six, were tied up and bundled into a blue Opel van along with their father in what has been described by the bank as an “appalling” incident.

It is the third kidnapping incident involving Bank of Ireland staff this year. The family’s ordeal began at about 1am yesterday when at least four masked raiders forced their way into a house in Johnsbridge estate, Lucan.

Five hours later the woman’s husband and two children were driven away in the van, registration number 07 D 69990.

The woman was forced to drive to her workplace in the Bank of Ireland in Inchicore as normal in the family’s black Toyota Rav 4, registration number O6 D 39011.

She left the bank at midday and drove to the Liffey Gaels GAA club in Inchicore, where she left the jeep with a sum believed to be about €300,000 on the back seat.

Her husband and the couple’s two children were taken to the back of Togher’s Garage in Rathangan, Co Kildare.

The six-year-old boy was first to set himself free and raised the alarm.

The family’s silver Volkswagen Passat, registration 99 D 60718, was also taken from their house and has not yet been found.

Bank of Ireland confirmed that one of its employees and her family had been victims of the kidnapping incident.

“Bank of Ireland’s priority is for the safety and wellbeing of the staff member and the family involved in this incident and all of the bank’s support services have been made available to them,” it said in a statement.

It is the second time in a week that the branch in Inchicore has been targeted.

On Monday, an armed raider held up staff there and got away with an undisclosed sum.

A spokesman refused to say whether protocols agreed between the Government, the gardaí and the banks in relation to what measures to take when such a kidnapping is in progress had been followed.

The Bank of Ireland spokesman would not comment on the circumstances of the kidnapping as it is now the subject a Garda investigation.

Bank of Ireland officials have been targeted three times already this year.

In February an employee at TCD’s College Green branch was forced to hand over €7.5 million in cash after members of his extended family were kidnapped.