Masked Men Attempt Tiger Kidnapping

A family have escaped with their lives after a gang of masked attempted a 'tiger' kidnapping robbery in Dublin in the early hours of this morning.

At about 1.00 am on Friday morning, a number of armed and masked men forced their way into a house in Johnsbridge east, Lucan. The family who occupy the house, a husband and wife and their two children a boy aged six and a girl aged three were held hostage.

Gardaí said this afternoon that it appeared that at about 6.00am the husband and the two children were taken from the house. They were taken in a blue Opel van, registration 07 D 69990.

The woman drove to work at a financial institution in Inchicore, Dublin, in a black Toyota Rav 4, with the registration 06 D39011. The woman left the financial institution around mid- day.

She left her vehicle, which contained a quantity of cash at Liffey Gael’s, GAA Club in Inchicore, Dublin.

The alarm was raised and Gardai became aware of the incident. The man and the two children were found unharmed at Toghers Industrial Estate outside Naas, Co Kildare. They had been held in the blue Opel van.

A silver VW Passat registered 99D 60718 belonging to the family was taken from their house in Lucan and has not yet been located. Anyone with information about this car is asked to contact Gardai.

Gardai would like to talk to anyone who was in the Johnsbridge Estate area of Lucan between 10.00pm on Thursday, and 1.00am on this morning to contact them.

They would also like to talk to anyone who may have seen the blue Opel van, which was left in Togher’s Industrial Estate.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Lucan Garda Station on 01 666 7332 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

(DW/BMcC)