# Irish Gardai Foil Huge Armored Car Heist In Progress



## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

In Ireland seven men are due to appear in court today charged in connection with a massive garda swoop which allegedly foiled a planned heist of a security van containing €1.2m.
Gardai moved to scupper an alleged attempted robbery of the cash-in-transit van as it arrived at a Tesco supermarket in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
Officers arrested the suspects after tailing the reinforced van as it left the Chubb depot at the Sandyford Industrial Estate and travelled towards Celbridge.
They had been following the suspects for weeks before the alleged heist as part of an intricate and lengthy garda operation.
The seven suspects arrested as part of the operation were believed to include Alan "Fatpuss" Bradley, and his brother, Wayne, who previously lost a libel action against a national newspaper.
The pair had claimed the article had suggested they had made millions from the proceeds of crime.
The court heard from a senior garda officer that the Bradleys had a notorious reputation.
Among those also believed to have been held was an employee of the Chubb company.
Gardai spent two days questioning the men, who were held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, before holding discussions with lawyers attached to the DPP's office.
The decision was made yesterday to charge them in connection with the foiled heist. They are due before Kilmainham District Court in Dublin today. The suspects were being held at several different garda stations including Naas, Newbridge and Clondalkin last night. Gardai, including the Emergency Response unit, the National Surveillance Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, had spent several months working on the operation.
Officers made their swoop around 10am on Friday as the two men working for the security company went to deposit €100,000 in an ATM.
They had tailed the van as it deposited around €100,000 at a petrol station before travelling on towards Celbridge.
There were no shots fired and no money was taken during the alleged attempted robbery.
Senior bosses at Chubb security company have ordered an internal review of security following the incident.
Gardai seized four vehicles, and recovered several items including a handgun -- believed to be an imitation -- as well as balaclavas, gloves and cutting equipment.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern described the garda operation as very significant and a major success.
- Louise Hogan IRISH INDEPENDENT


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