Gardaí are investigating a fifth "tiger robbery" in eight months after a supermarket manager in Co Louth was kidnapped and the business robbed.
The manager of Superquinn in the Carroll Village Shopping Centre, Dundalk, had locked up the store shortly after 8pm on Saturday night when he was approached by three men, one of them armed, who drove up beside him.
They forced him to get into their van and he was driven to an unknown location half an hour outside the town and held there overnight.
He was brought back to the supermarket at 5am yesterday morning and was made open the cash office. He was then tied up with two other women staff members who had arrived for work.
The gang made their getaway with what gardaí are describing as a substantial amount of cash.
A black Nissan Almera van, registration 99 D 7362, which was used by the thieves, was later found partially burnt out north of the border at Drumintee Co Armagh.
The supermarket staff were not injured and contacted gardaí shortly after 10am yesterday.
The investigation is being led by Supt James Sheridan of Dundalk Garda station. Mr Sheridan appealed for anyone who may have seen the getaway car prior to the robbery and kidnapping or who may have any information to contact them.
"If they saw anything suspicious or they saw a black Almera car will they contact us," he said.
It is understood that a reward will be offered for information received.
The PSNI is assisting gardaí in the search for the armed gang and in the forensic examination of the abandoned van.
Chairman of Superquinn Simon Burke said they were relieved there was no injury during the incident.
"Our concern is for the welfare of our colleagues who have been through a traumatic experience and we are providing every support to them," he said.
The incident is the fifth of its kind in the last eight months - a robbery involving kidnapping.
The most recent incident happened in September when a bank manager's family was held at gunpoint and more than €800,000 taken from the bank where she works in north Dublin.
Yesterday gardaí at Dundalk said they were aware of the similar raids but could not yet confirm whether or not there was a connection between them and the Superquinn robbery.
